Sambar Stuffed Idli & Chutney Stuffed Idli.

 Sambar Stuffed Idli & Chutney Stuffed Idli.

Yes, you read it right; sambar stuffed inside usual Rice Idli and coconut chutney stuffed Idli. But how can one stuff Sambar or chutney inside the idli, one may wonder. See how it is done!
This ‘all in one’ Sambar Idli or Chutney Idli tastes just the same as Idli soaked in sambar or Idli eaten with coconut chutney. By this new method you can take these Idlies on a picnic or during your travel, with ease and without hassle of carrying sambar or chutney in a separate vessel and additional spoons, ladle etc. You can just bite into the delicious Idli like you eat a ‘burger’.  

Sambar Stuffed Idli.
Ingredients.
 1) Cooked mashed toor dal – about 3-4 tablespoons.  2) Thick tamarind juice from about ½ sized lime. 3) Jaggery – one teaspoon. 4) vegetables – green peas, finely cut onions and tomato, all uncooked (or any other cooked vegetables of your choice for the sambar) – about 3-4 table spoons. 5) Sambar powder – 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons.  6) Salt as needed. 6) Standard overnight fermented Idli batter.

All ingredients: Cooked mashed toor dal, Vegetables- onions, tomato & peas., Jaggery, Tamarind, Sambar powder & salt.

Method.

Mix well all the items 1 to 5 above to make a thick paste, the ‘sambar mix’, and divide it into portions according to the number of Idlies (Say about 4-6 in this case) you are going to make. 

Pour only 50% of the Idli batter into the oil greased idli moulds, and spread it thin, gently till the very edge. 

50% batter spread on the moulds and 'sambar mix' gently deposited on it.

Carefully and gently deposit the sambar mix on the batter.

Deposit one more layer of batter carefully to cover up the sambar mix. 

'Sambar mix deposited in all and covetred with batter in two of them.

All 4 idlies fully covered and inside the cooker.

Steam the Idlies in a cooker for 10-12 minutes. 

Cool it, carefully take out the Idlies and serve hot; if needed reheat just before serving, after separating from the mould.

Ready to eat with butter and with apple juice for breakfast.

Stuffed Sambar Idli is now ready to eat; bite directly into the Idli like eating burgers.

Topping it with some Idli Chutney Podi and/or butter or ghee is optional.

Preparation time if cooked toor dhal and batter are ready is about 20 -25 minutes

Can make 4-6 Idlies with the above amount of ‘Sambar Mix’ and serves 2-3 persons.

Chutney Stuffed Idli.

Steps are similar to the Sambar stuffed Idli. 

Ingedients.

Only TWO;  coconut chuney made with very little water, like a thick almost dry paste

and standard overnight fermented Idli batter.

Only 2 ingedients - Coconut Chutney and Idli batter. 

Method.

Steps of making Chutney stuffed Idli are similar to that of doing it with the ‘Sambar Mix’.

50% batter spead on the mould and chutney mix deposited on it.

Chutney being covered with one more layer of batter.

Cooked Chutney Stuffed Idlies on Breakfast plate with butter and Chutney podi if preferred.

Preparation time – about 15-17 minutes if Chutney and batter are ready.

Serves 2 - 4 – 6 or more persons depending on quantity used. Being bigger Idlies one can eat only 2 or 3 or maximum 4 at a time.  

Special Note.

You may make more Idlies and store them in plastic boxes in the freezer compartment for 5-10 days or even longer. Before re-use, take it out and reheat in a microwave or re-steam it in a cooker for 2-3 minutes. 

 

Gonkura Patthrode Balls.

Gonkura Patthrode Balls.

The story behind this is that in the last few days two of my dear friends in Suvidha Seniors Village in Bangalore, gave me some delicious Udupi Patthrode, each of them slightly different but very tasty as usual. So I also wanted to make some of my own, but no ‘Patthrode’ leaves were available. In my own garden some Gonkura leaves were available, but not enough to make the usual Gonkura Chutney or Pickles. “Why not try to make a different shaped patthrode using these leaves” is the thought that occurred to me. After all the main flavour and taste of this dish is because of the batter used to make it. So I tried this experiment and it turned out well and tasting exactly like the classical patthrode. A Mangalorean friend in Suvidha, to whom I gave the sample, called me up to say that my ‘Patthrose‘ was excellent. She didn’t even notice that a different leaves were used!
The standard Patthrode using the Colocasia leaves in an elaborate process and has many steps and more time consuming. But this Gonkura Patthrode is just made quickly and in one step!

Ingredients.
 1) White rice – dosa rice or any other – ½ cup. 2) Coconut gratings or pieces – about same quantity.  3) Red chillies – 4-5.  4) Jeera – one tsp. 5) Coriander seeds – 1 ½ tsp.
6) Jaggery – about 2 tablespoons.  7) Tamarind** – a small lime sized. 8) Salt as needed. 8) Gonkura leaves washed, cleaned and dried – about one bowl. 
 ** We add less tamarind here since Gonkura leaves have a slightly sour taste.

Ingredients: Gonkura leaves - 1 bowl, Rice , Red Chillies, Tamarind, Coconut, Jaggery, Jeera and Coriander seeds.
Method:
Rice is washed and soaked for about 1-2 hours.#
Cut the Gonkura leaves into large pieces – need not be fine, and keep it aside.
Grind all items 1 to 7 in a mixie adding little water to make a thick slightly coarse batter.
Mix the batter and the leaves and make into lime size balls.
Steam the balls for 12-15 minutes, keeping them in a stainless plate, or an idli mould set.

All ingredients made into a coarse opaste in a mixie & Gonkula leaves cut up into pieces.

Gonkura leaves mixed with paste, made into balls and stam cooked in am Idli Cooker.

Gonkura Patthrode balls are now ready to serve – can be eaten as it is as a snack or with honey, or jaggery or date syrup or only ghee.

Cooked Gonkura Patthrode Balls - serve hot.

Preparation time 20 – 25 minutes.

Can make about 10 balls and can serve 2 - 3 persons as snack.

Special note: Even the standard Colocasia leaves Patthrode can be made this way in the shape of balls, by cutting the leaves into small pieces and following same steps. It is much easier, faster and taste would be same.  

Nutritional Information.

https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/go-for-the-gongura/article19125502.ece

Gonkura leaves are a rich source of iron, vitamins, folic acid, Vitamin C and anti-oxidants essential for human nutrition.  

The very mention of gongura pachhadi will have any Telugu drooling. When cooked with toor dal, it adds a certain zing to the dish and is popularly known as gongura pappu. Apart from curries, varieties of pickles are made with gongura. Cooking gongura with colocasia is a popular ethnic dish in Assam. In Tamil Nadu, it is widely used for pulichakeerai masiyal and thokku.

Gongura is an excellent source of folate and a very good source of vitamin B6, both of which are needed to maintain low homocysteine levels. Apart from this, it is a rich source of iron, vitamin C, anti-oxidants, calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin A.

 

 

 

 

Mint and Onion Tambli.

Mint** and Onion Tambli.

The story behind this: There was a luxuriant crop of Mint leaves in my neighbour’s cottage and also a few in my pots in Suvidha Seniors Village, Bangalore. So I asked my consultant in cooking, my own sister, Mrs Vijayalaxmi Ballal (a.k.a Sharath Kumari) staying in Udupi how to utilise it. I tried the recipe given by her for this very very easy to do Tambli. It had an exotic, awesome taste and that is why I am sharing with friends on the net.

Very simple and takes hardly 5 minutes to prepare the dish. Just mix the items selected, no cooking, just grind fine and mix with beaten curds add salt and tadka. It is ready to eat with hot rice. Yummy!

Luxurious Mint leaves grown in my pots.

HOW to grow mint in your own home - Just plant some stem/cuttings with leaves from out of what you purchase from the market. It grows easily in no time.

Ingredients.

 1) About a fistful of fresh mint leaves, well washed and clean. 2) About the same quantity of onion chopped fine (1/2 or one). 3) About 2 spoons of coconut pieces or gratings. 4) One green chilli and 5) For tadka – ghee, mustard, curd chilli and curry leaves + 6) salt to taste.

Ingredients: Onion, Cocoanut, Mint Leaves, green chilli and sour curds. Tadka items and salt not shown.

Method.

 Grind fine in a mixie items 1 to 4 add ing little water as needed. Transfer contents to serving dish, add salt, beaten curds and put a garnishing with mustard, mor-molaga and curry leaves in Ghee. 

If quantity is more for the day’s use, extra can be stored in the fridge as paste without adding curds; even tadka may be added to this preserved portion.

Paste mixed with beaten curds and tadka on left and paste with tadka for later use on right.

Ready to be served and eaten with hot rice as the first appetising dish at lunch or dinner.

Preparation time about 5 minutes.

Serves 3-4 persons if entire quantity is used.

**Nutritional Values of Mint

Per 100gms of fresh leaves:

Energy – 70 kcals
Carbohydrates – 14.79gm
Proteins – 3.75 gm
Total fat – 0.94 gm
Cholesterol – 0
Dietary Fiber – 8.0 gmVitamins – A, B 12, Folates;
Minerals – Calcium, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium,Copper.

Go to the link below to know about medicinal and culinary uses of Mint. http://www.mohanraohospital.com/2015/01/01/health-from-your-gardens-viii-herbs/