CAULIFLOWER AND CARROT PICKLE

Beginners in cooking do not like the thought of preparing a pickle at home.
It brings to mind a tedious and elaborate process. But here is a pickle which is very easy to make and can be prepared very quickly.
This pickle can be stored for 5-6 months and goes very well with Parathas.

DURING PICKLE PREPARATION ALL THE INGREDIENTS AND  VESSELS SHOULD BE COMPLETELY DRY .
EVEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF MOISTURE CAN SPOIL THE PICKLE WHEN STORED.

CUT VEGETABLES

THE MASALA

MASALA MIXED WITH VEGETABLES

PICKLE READY AFTER A WEEK

INGREDIENTS
4 cups cauliflower
1 cup carrot
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup mustard powder (grind whole mustard seeds to get mustard powder)
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup red chilli powder
1/2 cup groundnut oil or til oil
1 tsp haldi /turmeric powder
1/4 tsp hing/asafoetida


METHOD

• Wash and cut the cauliflower and carrot into small pieces and spread it on a cloth and allow to dry. 
• In a bowl mix all the ingredients and then mix the cauliflower and carrot pieces.
•  Fill  into a glass jar and keep it aside.
• After 2 days mix the mixture in the jar.
• The vegetables get seasoned and the oil starts floating on top.  
• The pickle will be ready to eat in a week's time.

Didn't I tell you it's simple ? :)
Do try it and let me know how you relished it!

PUDINA RICE/ MINT LEAVES RICE

INGREDIENTS

1 cup rice
2 cups mixed vegetables (beans,carrot,peas/matar)

FOR THE MASALA 
1 bunch pudina/mint leaves
1-2 green chilies
1" piece ginger
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp jeera/cummin
1" piece dalchini/cinnamon
2-3 cloves/laung

FOR TEMPERING

3-4 Tbsp oil
2 tbsp ground nuts
1tsp rayee/mustard
1 tsp chana dal
1tsp udad dal
2-3 red chillies
1/4 tsp haldi

SALT 

PREPARATION

• Cook the rice and spread it on a plate to cool.
  
• Meanwhile prepare the masala
• In a drop of oil,fry the dalchini and laung.
  
• Grind to a fine paste all the above ingredients required for the masala.
• In a thick bottomed kadai, heat oil.
• Add ground nuts followed by mustard/rayee.
• When the mustard splutters add chana dal ,udad dal, and red chillies.
  
• Add the vegetables and along with a pinch of salt.
  
• When it is 1/2 cooked , add the pudina paste, and cook till the vegetables are soft and the water from the masala is almost dry.
  
  
  
  
• Add haldi and mix well.
• Add the cooked rice , sprinkle salt and mix well.
  
• Serve hot with onion raita

PRECAUTIONS

Do not add too much water while grinding the pudina masala. If the paste is fried for a long time , the green colour is not retained.
Mix the rice only when it is completely cool .
Add the salt after adding the rice and mix thoroughly to remove all lumps.
Do not mash the rice while mixing.
Always take a big thick bottomed pan for easy mixing.

KOSAMBRI / SALADS

Kosambri is a part of the menu in a traditional Karnataka meal. These  salads are very nutritious and very easy to make.
ENJOY THESE  VARIOUS TYPES OF KOSAMBRI!!!

                                      CHANA DAL KOSAMBRI / LENTIL SALAD


Soak the chana dal  (split bengal gram)for 3-4 hrs.   Wash well and remove the water completely.
In a tsp of oil temper with mustard, hing(asafoetida), finely chopped green chili(about 1/2 or 1 green chili is enough),  curry leaves. Add salt and mix well. Then add a few spoons of freshly grated coconut and finely chopped coriander leaves. 

This article about chana dal interested me and hence I am sharing it here.

http://www.mendosa.com/chanadal.html

                                      MOONG DAL KOSAMBRI/GREEN GRAM SALAD

Soak moong dal (split green gram) and follow the same procedure as above.

VARIATION :    To this salad you can add grated cucumber or grated carrot also.

CHANA DAL AND MOONG DAL KOSAMBRI

                                   CARROT KOSAMBRI/ CARROT SALAD

Grate carrot and follow the same procedure as above. Add a pinch of sugar for extra taste.

LIME JUICE IS OPTIONAL. YOU CAN ADD IT AS PER YOUR TASTE TO ALL THE SALADS.

BISI BELE BHATH

Bisi Bele Bhath which means Hot Lentils and Rice is a dish from Karnataka.. It is a complete meal in itself as it contains rice, dal and a mix of vegetables.
Here I have shared a quicker way of making this dish,
Though it sounds very complex, it's very easy to make.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup rice
1 cup toovar dal (pigeon peas)
3-4 cups of mixed vegetables (beans, carrot, potaoes, peas etc)
Chop the vegetables into large cubes to prevent them from getting overcooked.

• SPICES USED

3-4 cloves ( laung/lavang)
1 1/2'' piece of cinnamon  (dalchini)
1 small cardamom (elaichi)
1 1/2-2tsp sambar powder
1 tsp coriander powder(dhania powder)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder(haldi)
1/4 tsp asafoetida ( hing)
salt
2-3 tsp Tamarind pulp
Curry leaves

FOR TEMPERING
6-7 tsp oil
3 tbsp groundnuts
1 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
3-4 whole red chilies
Curry leaves
2 onions, sliced
2 tomatoes finely chopped

METHOD

• Add about 5 cups of water to a pressure cooker and add rice, dal , vegetables, 1 tsp salt, turmeric powder and cook till you get one whistle.

• Meanwhile fry the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom in a drop of oil and powder them.

• In a vessel add a cup of water, the powdered spices, turmeric powder, sambhar powder ,coriander powder,1tsp salt ,asafoetida (hing) curry leaves and boil well till the raw smell of the powder is gone. You will get a nice aroma of the spices.

• Check your pressure  cooker now. The presuure would have subsided and you may be able to remove the lid. Check to see that the dal is cooked.

•  Add a cup of water and mix lightly. The rice should not turn to a paste.

•   Mix the  spiced up tamarind water and simmer. 
• Add water to make the mixture of a medium pouring consistency. Stir occasionally, but always be careful not to mash up the rice. Check the taste now. You can then adjust the sourness and spice (chili) in your  tempering.

• Heat oil. Add the groundnuts, mustard and  hing.  When the mustard splutters, add the red chilies and curry leaves
• . Add the sliced onions and saute till they become transparent .
•  Add the chopped tomatoes and salt and fry till  the water starts evaporating from the  tomatoes and the oil  starts leaving the sides . You can add an extra tomato if you want the rice mix to be  sour. Remember you have checked the mixture before!! 
•  Add sambhar powder or chili powder as per your requirement and mix this to the rice mix.

The whole mix should be semi solid in consistency.

Serve with papads and fried chilies and sandige . (These are sun dried products easily available in the super markets)

SANDIGE MENASU, HAPPALA , ARALU  SANDIGE

MIXED VEGETABLE KURMA

INGREDIENTS

2 cups chopped vegetables like beans,carrot,green peas and potatoes. Do not peel the potatoes. Wash them well and chop along with the skin.
1/4 tsp jeera(cumin)
3/4 cloves(lavang)
1" piece cinnamon(dalchini)
1 tsp poppy seeds(khus khus)
2/3 green chiilies
2/3 cloves garlic
1" piece ginger
1 small onion
1/4th cup grated coconut
2tsp roasted gram(putana)
A handful of fresh coriander leaves
salt to taste

METHOD
Boil the vegetables along with a little salt and keep aside. In a drop of oil, fry the cloves,cinnamon,cumin and poppy seeds.Grind the above fried spices along with the other ingredients to a fine paste.
Add this paste to the boiled vegetables along with a pinch of turmeric and salt as per taste. Mix well.
Bring to a boil. When it just starts boiling , remove from flame.
This tastes well with rotis and puris.

The kurma should not be boiled too much after adding the ground masala. If boiled too much, the oil from the coconut gets separated.

NOTE

I have used very mild spices. If you like it spicy ,you can increase the quantity of ginger, garlic and green chilies as per your taste and flavour.