Masala Motchai or Averekai Masala.

Masala Motchai or Averekai Masala.

This is a preparation of Madurai area in Tamilnadu. This is not an Udupi cuisine. I learnt it from a cookery programme on TV many years back. It is eaten as a snack or with rice or chapathi or poori. Hailing from Udupi, where to almost all dishes we add jaggery, even for this I add a little jaggery to balance the spicy taste.

Ingredients:

 # 1) Motchai kottai or Avare kalu – 1 cup.  2) Chana flour or Basen or Kadale hittu – 2-3 tsps. 3) Red chilli powder – 1 tsp.  4) Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp. 5) Cooking oil (I use coconut oil) – 2+2 tsps. 6) Salt as needed. 7) Mustard – 1 tsp. 8) Sombu or Fennel seeds- 1 tsp. 9) Onions, small(sambar onion) or medium pieces – ½ cup. 10) Ginger finely cut – 1 tsp. 11) Green chillies – 3-4, finely cut. 12) Garlic 4-6 pods – finely cut. 12) Curry leaves – few.  13) Coriander leaves – few. 14) Jaggery – ½ tsp or more, optional.

Ingredients:  Avare seeds, green chillies, garlic pods. Onion (small sambar onions preferred), Ginger,

Chana Flour, Red Chilli powder, Sombu, Turmeric powder,Coriander leaves and curry leaves.

Green chillies, Ginger & Garlic pods -all finely cut, small onions and cooked Avare seeds mixed with masala.

Method of preparation:

Cleaned and dried avare seeds or motchai kotte is cooked in a pressure cooker (one whistle) or rice cooker and cool it.

Mix well Kadale mav or Basen, chilli powder, salt, turmeric and 2 tsps of oil. To this add the cooked avare seeds and mix to give a nice coating of the masala.

In a kadai heat 2 tsps oil, add mustard, sombu, onions (preferably small ones) and fry till mustard spurts. Now add finely cut ginger, green chillies and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium flame when a nice aroma comes. At this time reduce flame and add masala coated motchai and mix and cook for 3-5 minutes. Adding jaggery is an option at this time.

                                                  

After frying all other items add masala coated Motchai to the Kadai to mix and cook for 3-5 minutes more.

Finally transfer to serving dish and garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.

                                    

Final stage after garnishing with curry leaves and coriander leaves.

                              

Can be eaten as it is as a snack or with rice or chapathi.

Preparation time : About 20-25 minutes.

Serves 3 to 4 persons.

Special note: can make similar masala using Potato cubes instead of Avare kalu.