Kothmeer Wadi (Coriander Cutlet)

Here’s wishing everybody a very Happy New Year !

I am writing my blog after a long break. Actually, my computer had a break-down ! The hard disc had crashed and due to which I lost a lot of my text documents (including my recipes). I will now have to retype them all over again. Luckily, all the photos were saved. I now have a new hard disc and so here I am !

Kothmeer Wadi - Steamed Roll

Kothmeer Wadi - Lightly fried slices

Kothmeer Wadi as the name suggests, is a typical Maharashtrian dish. This is very tasty dish/snack It is generally prepared when coriander leaves are available in plenty. I prepared this last week and thought I shall share this with you.

Ingredients :

Channa Dal (yellow split gram)	¾ cup
Corriander leaves	1 big bunch
Cummin (jeera) seeds	1 tsp
Green chillies	3- 4
Coconut scrapings (optional)	2 tbsps
Asafoetida	a pinch
Salt	to taste

Method

1. Clean and wash channa dal ( yellow split gram) and soak it in water for two hours. Drain. Then grind it coarsely without adding water.
2. Clean and wash coriander leaves (use the stems too if they are tender) and drain and chop it finely and keep aside.
3. Grind cumin, garlic, green chillies, asafoetida and coconut scrapings (if using) with a little water to a fine paste.
4. Now mix the (1, 2, & 3) ground gram, chopped coriander leaves, and the ground paste. Add salt.
5. Mix well.
6. Take half the quantity of this mixture and roll it with hand to form a thick roll as in the above picture. Alternatively, this mixture can be tightly filled upto the brim in a coffee mug (lined with a little oil) and the mug overturned with a sharpjerk to get a neat roll.

7. Once all the rolls are made (roughly 2-3 rolls) steam them (without the whistle) in a cooker for 15 minutes
   
8. When cooled, cut each roll into ¾” slices.
9. Fry these slices on both sides with a little oil in a frying pan till lightly brown.
10. Serve hot.

Note:

These slices, when cooled can be preserved in the fridge for a few days. The slices need not be fried all at once.

This dish can be served as a side dish or as a snack by itself.

Tomato and Oregano Omelette

After pruning the Oregano plant ( I had written about it in my last blog), I preserved the leaves to prepare this tasty snack. This is a breakfast snack. Those who are vegetarians/vegans or allergic to eggs will enjoy this. Children just love this.

Ingredients

Tomatoes (medium)	2
Onion (medium)	1
Oregano (leaves)	8-10
Green chillies	1
Ginger	½” piece
Gram Flour	2-3 tbsps
Salt	1 tsp
Water	1-2 tbsps
Oil	for frying

Method :

• Wash and chop - tomatoes, onions, green chilies, oregano and ginger.
• Put all the chopped ingredients in a bowl.
• Add salt and gram flour to the mixture.
• Once the salt is added, the mixture will leave a little water.
• If the mixture is still dry, you can add a tbsp of water. Do not make the mixture watery. Mix well and keep aside.
• Now take a frying pan and heat it on a medium flame and spread a little oil on it.
• When the pan is hot, take a spoonful of the mixture and spread it on the pan and fry it like pancakes or dosas.
• Dribble oil on the sides and turn it over after about 3-4 mins.
• Fry the other side too till done and remove.
• Serve hot.

Makes 4 small omelettes.

Serving Suggestions:

This can be eaten with bread slices either toasted or fresh. It can also be eaten

with the chapattis (as a chapatti roll) or just as a snack by itself.

Note:

Chopped coriander leaves can also be added along with oregano.

Oregano / "Sambharbalipaan"

Family functions and other commitments prevented me from posting on my blog. In the meantime, I also noticed that my tiny garden in the balcony was getting neglected so much so that some of the plants were growing out of control and one of it was the Oregano or “Sambharpali Paan” (in Konkani language).

Thus started my spade work! Gardening is hard work but very satisfying in the sense that you can actually see them grow ( from a tiny delicate plant to a sturdy one) and bloom.

Oregano is a medicinal herb and in our native village ( Udupi and Mangalore, Karnataka) this herb is grown in almost every house and is generally used for relieving coughs and cold especially for very young children. Its leaves have a distinct flavour.

I also learnt that it has several health benefits and is used in several countries in different ways. Of course we all know that it is used in Pizzas.

It’s easy to grow and can be grown from cuttings as I have done. It also does not need much looking after. It is growing happily in my pot in the balcony.
The leaves are very thick and juicy and only these are used for salads and some recipes.

Watch out for my next post on the recipe.




Source
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregano
http://gardening.about.com/od/plantprofil2/p/Oregano.htm

The following link will give you some of the Indian names of this herb http://www.indianspices.com/html/s0625oregano.htm

Chocolate Fudge

A quick and easy recipe. This is a treat for kids (they will love it) but not recommended for weight watchers !

Ingredients :

Sweetened Condensed Milk	1 tin (400)g
Chopped Nuts (almonds, cashews & pistachios)	100 gms
Cocoa	½ cup
Butter	50 gms
Sugar	¾ cup

Method :

• Pour condensed milk into a non-stick or a thick bottomed pan.
• Add butter, sugar, cocoa and nuts into it.
• Stir on gentle heat till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
• Pour evenly into a greased plate.
• Allow to cool.
• Cut into squares.

Preparation Time : 20 mins

Cooking Time : 25 mins

Makes about 35 pieces (1 inch squares)

Note:

When the mixture is slightly cooled, make the incision and when completely cooled, cut it into squares or else the pieces may not come out in even shapes.

Date Rolls

Diwali is here!!! I remember my mother slogging in the kitchen to prepare the traditional Diwali sweets a week or ten days before. And her sweets would be really fantastic. I chose the path of least resistance! The sweets I choose to make this Diwali will be easy, tasty and also presentable.

Ingredients :

Dates (seeded)	250 gms
Marie Biscuits	250 gms
Butter/ghee (optional)	2 tbsps
Cardamom (optional) powder	7-8 pods
Water (warm)	About 1 cup
Sugar powdered (optional)	1 tbsp

Method :

• Soak dates in warm water for about an hour.
• Deseed if any and grind to a paste and keep aside.
• Crush biscuits ( Do not powder it.) and keep aside.
• Put the ground date paste in a non-stick pan and heat it on a low flame.
• Keep on stirring till all the water has evaporated and it has dried.
• Add butter /ghee (optional) and stir the mixture for about five minutes.
• Take off from heat.
• Then add the crushed biscuits little at a time and mix until all the crushed

biscuits are added.

• Add cardamom powder and mix well.
• Knead the whole mixture with your hand.
• Then take a handful of the mixture (roughly the size of the tennis ball and roll it on a smooth surface using both your hands till you get a long sausage shape.
• Cut it into desired pieces.
• Finally sprinkle the powdered sugar through a sieve over the Date Rolls.
• When cooled, store it in an airtight container.

Note :

Butter/ghee, cardamom and sugar can be omitted in the recipe and it still turns out good.

While rolling the mixture, apply a little butter/ghee/margarine on the palms of your hand and also on the surface of the board to avoid sticking and for smooth rolling.

Vegans can use margarine instead of butter or ghee (clarified butter).

Watch out for my next easy recipe: Chocolate Fudge.

Tabouleh

My close (Lebanese) friend Ms. Nana Turk introduced me to this wonderful tasty salad. I owe this recipe to her. Since I enjoy Lebanese cuisine, I have learnt quite a few recipes from her.

Ingredients :

Bulghur wheat	1/2 cup
Parsley	1 small bunch
Fresh mint	1 small bunch
Tomatoes	3-4
Spring onions	1 small bunch
Capsicum	1
Lemon	1 (juice of 1 Lime )
Black pepper	1 tsp
Salt	1 tsp or as per taste
Olive oil	1 tsp

Method :

• Wash & soak the Bulgur wheat in a bowl for half an hour.
• Then drain it completely and keep it aside.
• Wash parsley, mint and tomatoes and chop them finely.
• Finely chop the onions.
• Add all the finely chopped vegetables to the drained bulgur wheat and mix it well.
• Sprinkle black pepper and salt and add the olive oil.
• Toss this gently.
• Decorate it with a sliver of Green Pepper.
• Serves 4

Note :

This is an Arabic/Lebanese salad. As you can see it is very colourful and tasty (take my word for it !) too.

In this recipe, I have slightly Indianised it. Instead of Bulgur wheat, spring onion & parsley, I used broken wheat, onion and coriander leaves.

Romaine Lettuce leaves are also used for decorating this salad.

Info :

Tabbūle is a Levantine Arabic word meaning literally "little spicy".

Source:

Wikipedia

Golli Bajje

Golli Bajje (Mangalore Bajje)

Ingredients:

Maida (refined flour)	2 cups
Besan (gram flour)	2 tbsps
Curds (slightly sour)	3/4 cup
Sugar	2 tsps
Salt	1 tsp
Green chillies (chopped)	2 - 3
Eno / soda-bi-carb	1 sachet or 1tsp
Water	½ cup

Method:

1. Mix refined flour and gram flour together and keep aside.
2. In a bowl add chopped green chilies, salt and sugar and crush it roughly.
3. To this mixture add the curds and mix till the salt and sugar are dissolved.
4. Now add Eno/soda-bi-carb in the curd mixture.
5. To this add the flour mix and prepare a semi-solid batter.
6. If needed you can add a little water so that the batter is not solid.
7. Keep this batter covered for about 1-2 hours when the whole mass rises. Heat oil in a frying pan. Keep it on a medium flame
8. Wet your fingers in water and take about a teaspoon of the batter and drop them in the hot oil and fry them till golden brown.
9. Serve hot with coconut chutney or coriander green chutney.

Note:

Serves 4.
Golli Bajje as it is known in Konkani language can be eaten without chutney. It is crisp on the outside and very soft and spongy on the inside. It is a very tasty snack especially when eaten during rainy season!

Cucumber Idli

My first blog post!! My daughter encouraged me to create this blog and start archiving some of the traditional konkani dishes ( and others). Suggestions and comments would be greatly appreciated.



My mother used to make "Cucumber Muddhe" (Dumplings), which was a traditional konkani evening snack. She also taught me to make "Dahi Idli" (Yoghurt RiceCakes).
I have combined both to create my own recipe. And thus, on a fateful Sunday evening, was born the Cucumber Idli.

Preparation Time: 15-20 min
Cooking Time: 10-12 min

Ingredients

Cucumber	1
Fine Sooji	1 cup
Curds (Slightly sour)	1 cup
Green chilies (chopped)	2
Ginger (chopped)	1” piece
Baking-soda or Eno	1 tsp
Salt	1 tsp or as per taste
Oil (for greasing)	1 tsp

Method

1. Grind roughly the chopped green chilies and ginger along with the salt.
2. Grate the cucumber and keep aside. Discard the seeds if they are not tender.
3. In a vessel mix the grated cucumber and the chilly-ginger-salt mix.
4. To this mixture, add the sour curd and eno/baking soda and mix well.
The mixture will froth slightly.
5. Grease a plate/thali with the oil and pour the mix into it.
6. Steam this in a cooker (without the whistle) for 10-12 mins.
7. When slightly cooled, cut it into pieces. Serve hot.

Notes
Bansi Rawa can be used instead of fine sooji.
Coriander leaves and Curry leaves can also be added to the mixture.
Chutney is optional, the idli should be eaten hot with a dollop of white butter.

This does not keep well for more than a day in tropical climates, refrigerate if you are not consuming it on the same day. To re-heat, place it in a water bath for about 7-8 min.

FYI

My recipe also appeared in the CityPlus Weekly Issue, (Koramangala) Bangalore edition (3rd Apr 2009)

If you don't know some of the Indian ingredients used here, you may find this glossary useful.