Bele Obattu

Bele obattu or holige is a popular sweet dish in Karnataka and is made on all important festivals and functions.Making this needs a lot of patience but its all worth the effort!!!

Holige preparation involves two parts: one part is preparing the dough/kanaka and the other part is preparing the filling/hoorna.

Ingredients for the dough/kanaka:
1. chiroti rava-2cups(1paavu)
2.turmeric powder-1/4tsp
3.oil

Ingredients for the filling/hoorna:
1.toor dal-2cups(1paavu)
2.fresh coconut pieces/scraped-1cup(one half of small whole coconut)
3.jaggery powdered-2cups
4.cardamom/elaichi-10

Method of preparation:

1.Mix chiroti rava with turmeric powder and water to form a thick dough.Flatten the dough a little and immerse it in oil.Leave it for at least 3hours.

2.Shown below are the ingredients to prepare the hoorna/filling.Pressure cook the toor dal(for 4-`5 whistles) so that it becomes soft.Grind the coconut without any water to form a smoooth paste.Peel and powder the cardamom.

3.In a wok/kadai, add the cooked dal first and then ground coconut.Mix well and keep stirring in medium flame until the hoorna starts leaving the sides of the wok.Just when it is almost done, add the elaichi/cardamom powder,mix well and keep it aside for cooling.

4.Now,knead the dough soaked in oil ,for about 10 minutes.In case the dough has absorbed all the oil,add little more oil to knead.This forms the kanaka and the consistency should be loose.

5.Make balls of hoorna and the dough.The size of the hoorna should be double the size of the dough.Place the filling on the dough and seal from all sides, just like we do the parathas.

6.Take butter paper/banana leaf and spread oil on it.Preferably, place the butter paper on a rolling stone(used to make chapatis).Gently press and flatten the filled ball of dough on the butter paper.You can either spread with your fingers or use a rolling pin to gently roll on the flattened dough.Roll into medium sized obattu/holige(sprinkle some maida or wheat flour while rolling if required).Reverse the butter paper on a pre-heated tawa and carefully separate the holige from it.

7.Keep the flame medium or low and fry the holige on both the sides only till little brown spots appear.Fold the holige into half and take it out of the tawa. Do not over fry as it will make the holige brittle.

8.Repeat the process for the rest of the filled balls of dough.Yummy bele obattu is now ready to be served.

Serving Tip:1.Serve hot with ghee.
                     2.Serve with little ghee and warm milk.(Mix the holige with milk and eat).

General tips on bele obattu/holige:
1.These can be preserved for upto 2days without refrigeration.
2.Consistency of the dough/kanaka should be same as that of the hoorna/filling to get really soft holige.(If the filling gets dry,we can add little milk to soften it).

Vegetable Pulav

My daughter's favourite dish.Must try!!

Ingredients:

Vegetables:

•  beans-15-20
•  carrots-2 big
•  peas-1 small cup
•  capsicum(bell pepper)-1 medium sized
•  onions-3big
•  pudina(mint leaves)-1 small bunch
•  coriander leaves-1 small bunch
•  green chillies-5
•  ginger-2inch piece  
• lemon

Spices:

•   cinnamon-1 long piece
•   cloves-4
•   cardamom-4              

Other Ingredients:            

•  fresh coconut pieces-1 small cup 
•  rice-2 cups
•  oil-6 tablespoons
•  ghee-1teaspoon
•  salt to taste

Method of Preparation:

1.Cut beans,carrots ,bell pepper .Separate the mint leaves(pudina) from its stalk.Wash all the vegetables and mint leaves.Keep aside.

2.Wash and soak 2 full cups of rice(basmathi or normal long grained) for about 10 minutes.

3.These are the ingredients for grinding.Dice onions,wash and cut coriander leaves,chop ginger. Put these along with green chillies,cinnamon,cloves,cardamom and coconut (pieces or grated) in a mixer.

4.Grind the above mentioned ingredients to form a fairly smooth paste.

5.Heat oil in a wok,add the cut bell pepper and mint leaves.Saute for 2-3 minutes.

6.To the above,add the ground paste and saute well for 5-7 minutes so that the raw smell does not remain.

7.To the above, add the rest of the vegetables and previously soaked rice.Mix well.

8.Transfer the contents of the wok either to the electric rice cooker vessel or pressure cooker(according to your convenience).Add 4cups water(since we have 2cups rice+veggies),enough salt to taste,1 teaspoon ghee,2-3 drops of fresh lemon juice(this is to separate rice grains from sticking to each other).Mix well and cook(3whistles if using pressure cooker).

9.Once the pulav is cooked,mix well and transfer it to a serving bowl.Delicious vegetable pulav is now ready to be served.

Serving Tip:Serve hot with onion,cucumber,tomato raitha.

Variation:1.Add more veggies like potatoes,cauliflower and even broccoli.

                2.Make this pulav using only peas.

Herakayi/Ridge gourd chutney

Ridge gourd also known as "Herekayi" in kannada is extremely rich in dietary fiber and enriched with all the vital elements that include Vit-C, Zinc, Iron, Riboflavin, Magnesium, Thiamin and traces of other minerals.Chutney made from this vegetable is as tasty as it is rich in nutrients.

Ingredients:

1.Ridge gourd / herekayi -1 small or half of big one.

2.green chillies-5 (use more if you want more spicy).

3.coriander leaves-1 small bunch

4.tamarind-1 small piece

5.bengal gram dal-2teaspoons

6.coconut scrapings-1 small cup

7.oil

8.curry leaves-7

9.jaggery-2teaspoons

10.mustard seeds-1/4 teaspoon

11.asfoetida-1pinch

12.salt to taste.

Method of Preparation:

1.Scrape only the rough edges and retain the skin on the ridge gourd.Wash it well and cut it into small cubes.

2.Heat 2teaspoons oil in a wok/frying pan.Saute the bengal gram dal first.Then add green chillies.Add the ridge gourd cubes and saute for two minutes.Add tamarind piece,curry leaves,coriander leaves(washed and chopped).Saute them for another 2 minutes and add half cup water.After the ridge gourd cubes have softened ,switch off the stove and allow the contents to cool.

 

3.Keep the coconut scraping ready.

4.Once the contents of the wok completely cools down, grind this along with the coconut scrapings and jaggery.

5.Grind well to form a smooth texture.

5.Transfer the ground paste to a serving bowl, add required amount of salt and little water(if required) to get your desired consistency.To this, add seasoning of mustard seeds,asfoetida and red chillies (optional).

6.Ridge gourd chutney is now ready to be served.

Serving Tip: Serve with hot rava idlis ,chapathis or dosas.

Vegetable Cutlet

Vegetable cutlet is a yummy and healthy snack liked by people of all age groups.Do not miss out on this !!!

Ingredients:

1.Bread (white and plain)-1pound
2.beans-100gm
3.carrots-1big
4.peas-100grams
5.potatoes-4 medium sized
6.rava(semolina)-1cup
7.rice flour/wheat flour-1cup
8.rusk powder-1cup
9.oil
10.chilly powder-2 teaspoons
11.salt to taste

Method of Preparation:

1.Dice the beans and carrots into very small cubes .

2.Boil all the veggies(do not dice the potatoes).Drain out the water and keep aside.

3.Dip 2 or 3 whole bread slices in water, take out immediately and squeeze out the water from the slices with your hands.Repeat the procedure for the entire pound of bread.

4. Mash the boiled potatoes.

5.Mix the beans,carrots and peas with mashed potatoes and some salt.

6. Add the above to the squeezed bread slices, add required amount of salt and chilly powder.

5.Mix the veggies,bread,salt and chilly powder well.keep this bread dough aside.

 6.Powder rusk in a mixer.Take a cup of rava, rice flour/wheat flour(I have used wheat flour), rusk powder.

7.Make small balls of the  bread dough and flatten each ball a little to form a square shape.Now, roll each flattened ball onto the wheat flour, then rusk powder and finally on rava.All these three powders stick to the flattened ball.

8.Heat a shallow frying pan or tava and shallow fry each square piece on both sides with 2 teaspoons of oil . 

9.Cutlets are now ready to be served.

Serving Tip: Serve hot with tomato sauce or coriander/pudina chutney.

Variation: 1.Deep fry instead of shallow fry (tastes better).
                 2. Add grated paneer(cottage cheese) along with the veggies.
      

Paneer Paratha

Ingredients:
wheat flour-4 cups
paneer/cottage cheese-200grams
red chilli powder-1teaspoon
coriander powder-1teaspoon
garam masala-1/4teaspoon
coriander leaves-small bunch
green chillies-2 or 3
cumin seeds-1teaspoon
oil
salt to taste

Method of Preparation:

1.Mix wheat flour with enough water,salt to taste and 2tablespoons oil.Knead well to form a smooth dough and keep aside covered for about 30 minutes.

2.Grate paneer.

3.To the grated paneer, add red chilli powder,coriander/dhania powder,garam masala,finely chopped green chillies,finely chopped cilantro,cumin seeds,just a pinch of salt(if it is salted paneer bought from the stores,else add enough salt to taste).Mix well.

4.Make standard chapathi dough balls(little bigger if you want thick parathas).Shape them into cups.Stuff each cup with lemon sized paneer filling and seal it properly on all sides.

5.Roll out into thin or thick parathas(according to your taste).

6.Fry each paratha with little oil/ghee on a pre-heated tava, on both sides.

7.Yummy paneer paratha is now ready to be served.

Serving Tip:1.Serve hot with a dash of butter or ghee on top.
                     2.Serve with any north Indian side dish or just plain thick curds.

Semiya Upma

Ingedients:                                                                                                                              

vegetables-carrots(2),peas(1small cup),beans(200grams),potato(2)

rava semiya-500grams

green chillies-4

coconut-1 small cup

ginger-1 inch piece

coriander leaves/cilantro-1 small bunch

oil(ground nut oil/sunflower oil)- 4 tablespoons

salt(crystals/powder) to taste

mustard seeds-1/2 teaspoon

urd dal-1 teaspoon

bengal gram dal-1 teaspoon

turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon

asafoetida-1/4 teaspoon

curry leaves-8 to 10

Method of preparation:

1.Dice all the vegetables and wash them thoroughly.

2.Cook all the vegetables either in pressure cooker or in an open pan.

3.This is the uncooked semiya that is roasted (readily available).

4.Cut coconut into small pieces.Grind together fried green chillies and coconut pieces in a mixer.

5.Grate ginger and keep aside.

6.Grate coconut and keep aside .

7.Boil about 400ml of water,add the cooked vegetables,ground paste,salt,pinch of turmeric,seasoning of mustard seeds and asafoetida.Add the readily available roasted semiya and keep stirring.

8.Season with urd dal and bengal gram dal.(optional).

9.Add grated coconut on top for better taste and mix well.(optional).

10.Squeeze a few drops of lemon ,garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Serving Tip:.Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Variation:1.Instead of veggies ,make plain semiya and add lots of grated coconut.

2.Use only onions and capsicum instead of all the other vegetables.