NANCHANE DUDDALI (FINGER MILLET / RAGI HALWA)

 Nanchane duddali is a jaggery based halwa . In Konkani, Nanchano means Finger millet/ Ragi and duddali means halwa. This halwa has a very different texture and taste. Generally it is said that the consumption of Ragi has to be increased in summer. This is because it has a cooling effect on the body. Try making this halwa and get the goodness of Ragi.  Generally we use coconut milk for preparing this but here I have  tried  milk.

 INGREDIENTS:

 1. Ragi powder                      –  1 cup

 2. Milk                                    –   1 cup

 3. Jaggery                              –   ¼  cup—as per taste can increase

 4. Cardamom powder         –   ½  Teaspoon

 5. Water                                 –   3 cups (apprx)

 6.  Ghee                                  –   2 tsp  Tea spoons

 

 

 METHOD:

                                                               i.      Add  4 cups of water to Ragi powder and mix  well and keep aside for 30 min. 

                                                             ii.      After 30 min strain water.  We  get a thick paste.

                                                            iii.      Add 1 cup milk, 3 cups of water, jaggery and 1 tsp of ghee to the Ragi paste and mix  well.

                                                           iv.      Then pour this mix into thick bottom pan and  boil  till it  becomes thick  and cook      properly.  Add cardamom powder to the thick paste and mix well  if more sweetness is required you can add more jaggery.

                                                             v.      Keep stirring with a wooden spatula till it thickens and make sure it doesn’t attach the  bottom of the bowl.

                                                           vi.      The mix has turned thick in consistency.   if it does not stick to our hands it means it’s perfectly cooked.

 

  Grease a plate with a little ghee and pour the above mix and flatten it with the back of a spatula and cut it with a knife on cooling  keep this in refrigerator and  it tastes good when it is chilled.

 

 

Bhaigan ka Bartha

This is a dish using Smoked eggplant  mashed and cooked with masala,  onion and  tomatoes.  This is a   good side dish with Rotis.  I got this recipe from a TV show with a slight variation from my side by adding sweet corn.  I just love the smoky flavour of bhaigan.

Eggplant (bhaigan)                                  1 large size

Onion chopped                                        1

Ginger chopped                                       1 tsp

Garlic   chopped                                      2 tsp

Red chilli powder                                    2 tsp

Turmeric powder                                    ¼ tsp

Coriander powder                                   1 tsp

Jeera powder                                           ½ tsp

Green chilly chopped                              1 or 2

Jeera                                                           ½ tsp

Boiled sweet corn                                    ¼ cup (optional)

Tomatoes  chopped                                 2

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves chopped                      1 tbsp

Oil                                                                2 or 3 tsp

Method   

·         Apply  little  oil  on eggplant.

·         Keep this on gas in low flame for roasting,  in between turn it so all sides roast evenly.

·         After eggplant’s  skin turn black switch  off the gas and  keep this in a bowl and  cover with a  lid.   So we get smoky flavour  in  eggplants.  After 5 min  slowly remove outer skin of egg plants.  (we have  applied oil  on  eggplants so we can quickly remove skin out of it)

·         Mash the eggplant and keep aside.

·         Heat oil in kadai  put jeera when it splutters  add chopped ginger and garlic fry and till light brown,  then add green chilli and chopped onions fry till transparent.

·         Then add chilli powder, coriander powder, jeera powder, turmeric and salt and fry  for 2 to 3 min on low  flame then add chopped tomatoes fry till it gets mashed  then add boiled sweet corn and mashed eggplant  mix well  and cook for 5 min.

·         Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

·         Serve hot with rotis.

 

Chettambado ( parippu vada)

1.       Channa dal (kadala parippu )                        2cups

2.       Onion finely chopped                                    1

3.       Ginger chopped                                              1”  piece

4.       Green chilly                                                     3 to 4 finely chopped

5.       Fennel seeds(optional)                                 1 tsp

6.       Hing                                                                  ¼ tsp

7.       Curry leaves few

8.       Coconut finely chopped                                1 tbsp

 

 

·         Soak channa dal in water for 2 hours.   Drain the water completely.   Make sure the water is drained well.  Pat dry dal with clean kitchen towel.

·         Crush the soaked and drained dal,  just run it in mixer  for a few seconds.   Don’t grind into smooth paste.    Add all finely chopped ingredients to the crushed dal and mix it together.   Make small lemon size ball with the dal mix.

·         Heat oil in deep frying pan in high flame,  when oil becomes hot  lower flame.  Flatten  dal  ball and make vada with  your  palm.   Make small hole in center.   (wet hand in water before flattening  dal balls.

·         Fry the vada till both side becomes golden brown.   Drain excess oil in tissue paper .serve hot.

Tomato rice

This can be prepared from left over rice and is a quick recipe.

1.       Cooked white rice                             2cups

2.       Tomatoes chopped                           ½ cup

3.       Onion chopped                                  2

4.       Chilly powder                                     1tsp

5.       Urad  dad                                            ½ tsp

6.       Mustard seeds                                    ¼ tsp

7.       Garam masala powder                      ¼ tsp

8.       Oil /ghee                                               1tbsp

9.       Salt to taste

10.   Turmeric Powder                                ¼ tsp

Method

·         Cook rice and keep aside to cool(u can use left over rice also)

·         Heat oil in kadai add mustard seeds when it splutter  add urad dal fry till light brown .

·         Then add chopped onion fry till transparent then add chopped tomatoes  fry for 2-3 minutes then add chilli  powder, garam masala powder,  turmeric powder  and salt fry for 2-3 minutes add cooked rice and mix well.

·         Tomato rice ready to serve with salad or pickle.

 

Dalithoy

I was surfing through my blog today  suddenly I realised that I have not posted the  most common and favourite  dish of Konkanis “ Daali Thoy” without which our feasts are incomplete.   In our day to day  menu also it plays a vital role.   This is a very good combi with fish fry, fish phanna Upkari, sukka etc.   This is a quick recipe and can go well with chappathi, rotis, dosa etc.

 

1.       Thoor Dal  (Thuvara Parippu)                       -- 1 cup

2.       Green chilli                                                      --  3 to 4

3.       Mustard seeds                                                 --   ½ tsp

4.       Hing powder                                                    --   ¼ tsp

5.       Ghee /oil                                                          --    2 tsp

 

6.       Curry leaves  few

7.       Red chilli                                                           --  2 or 3 broken in to pieces  

        coriander leaves   (optional)                                                     

 

Method

 

·         Pressure cook Thoor dal in 2-3 cups of water with slit green chilli for 3 to 4 whistles.

·         Transfer into vessel  add salt and churn till it becomes smooth fine paste  and boil for 5 minutes.

·         Heat oil in pan add ghee/oil  add mustard seeds when it splutter add hing powder, curry leaves and broken red chillies then fry for 2-3 minutes then pour this on dal paste.

·         Amchi favourite Daali thoy is ready.

Pedvo thallalo (sardine fry-mathi porichathu)

Ingredients

1.    Pedvo (sardine)                         --  ½ kg

2.    Chilly powder                            --  1 tbsp

3.    Hing  powder                             --   ¼ tsp

4.    Rice flour                                    --  2 tbsp

5.    Salt to taste

6.    Oil for frying

 

Method

·       Cut and clean the fish.

·       For marination :- add chilly powder, hing powder and salt and make a thick paste. 

·       Marinate this to the fish and keep for at least 30 minutes.

·       Then add rice flour to the marinated fish and coat evenly.

·       Then  deep fry.

·       Serve hot with steaming rice and sambar.

Strawberry crush

1.    Strawberry                         --  8 to 10

2.    Mint leaves                        --  10 to 15

3.    Sugar                                   --  1 tbsp

4.    Soda                                    --  ½ ltr

5.    Lemon                                  1

Method

·       Slice two strawberries  and keep aside.

·       In a mortar, crush the strawberries, sugar,lemon slices  and mint leaves.

·       Pour the crushed mix into glasses and pour chilled soda over it and decorate with strawberry slices and mint leaves.

·        Serve immediately.

Anaar Juice (pomegranate juice)

1.    Pomegranate                    --  1 big

2.    Sugar                                  --   1 tbsp  (as per taste)

3.    Ice cubes                            --  few

4.    Water                                  --  1 cup

 

Method

Put all the ingredients in a mixer or juicer and serve chilled.

Strawberry Lassi

1.    Curd                                 --  ½ ltr

2.    Strawberry                     --  8 to 10 chopped

3.    Sugar                               --  2 tbsp

4.    Ice cubes                         --  few

 

Method

Put all the ingredients in a juicer or blender and blend it thick juice and serve chilled.

 

Water melon masala juice

1.    Water melon                                --  2 cups chopped

2.    Coriander powder                       --  ¼ tsp

3.    Jeera powder                                --   ¼ tsp

4.    Chat masala                                  --    ¼ tsp

5.    Black pepper corns                      --  5 to 6

6.    Pinch of salt

7.    Sugar  optional

 

Method

Put all the ingredients in a juicer and sieve with a mesh strainer and serve chilled.