Udipi Sambar

Udipi is a small town in Karnataka state which is very famous for its temples and it’s delicious cuisine. It’s one of my most favourite cuisine. No restaurant can match the dosa and sambar that are served in Udipi restaurants. 
I have made Udipi rasam earlier, but today was the first time that I tried Udipi sambar. The spices used for this sambar are almost the same as the ones used for bisibela bath.

The sambar was very aromatic, mildly sweet and indeed very delicious. It was a super hit with my family. I hope you all would like it too:)

  
Ingredients

Tuvar dal ( pigeon peas) – 1 Cup

Peeled shallots – 1 cup

Tomatoes – 2 

Tamarind – small lemon sized

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp 

Grated jaggery – 2 tsps

Salt to taste

Grated coconut – 4 tbsps

Oil – 3 tsps

Mustard – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – few

Hing( asafoetida/ perungayam) – 1/4th tsp

To roast and grind 

———————–

Coriander seeds ( dhania) – 2 tsps

Urad dal ( black gram/ ullundhu)- 1 tsp

Chana dal ( Bengal gram/ kadala paruppu) -1tsp

Pepper – 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds ( jeera) – 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds ( methi/vendhayam) – 1/4th tsp

Red chillies – 6-7

Method

Soak tamarind in 2 cups of water for 30 mins. Squeeze well and take the extract.

Wash and soak tuvar dal for 30 mins. Drain the water completely. Add 2 cups of fresh water and 1/4th tsp of turmeric powder. 

Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. It should be very soft and mushy.

Wash the shallots. Wash and chop tomatoes.

Add the shallots, tomatoes, remaining turmeric powder, jaggery and salt to taste to the tamarind extract. Boil till the vegetables are cooked.

 

 Roast the ingredients mentioned for grinding in a tsp of oil. 
  
Cool and grind it along with coconut to a smooth paste.

Add the ground paste and the cooked dal to the tamarind mixture and mix well. Add required amount of water to get the sambar consistency( like a thick soup). Check for the seasonings and let it simmer for few mins.

Heat 2 tsps of oil in a pan. Add mustard. When it starts spluttering, add hing and curry leaves. Sauté for few seconds and add the tempering to the sambar.

Serve the sambar hot with steamed rice/ idli/dosa 🙂

  

Beetroot Rasam

This is another unique rasam from Karnataka cuisine. Jayanthi aunty, who shared her lovely recipe for jack fruit seeds rasam, gave this recipe too:)
It’s simple to make but very delicious. And anyone will fall in love with its beautiful colour. This can be served as a soup too.

 I made it for the first time today and it was a super hit with my family. Hope you all would like it too:)

  
Ingredients

Tuvar dal ( pigeon peas ) – 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder – 1/4th tsp

Chopped beet root – 1/2 cup

Tomatoes – 2 

Tamarind – small goose berry sized 

Grated jaggery – 1/2 tsp

For the spice powder

———————————

Coriander seeds( dhania) – 5 tsps

Urad dal ( ullundhu) – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds ( jeera) – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds ( methi/ vendhayam) – 1/2 tsp

Red chillies – 5-6

Grated coconut- 1 tbsp

Oil – 1/2 tsp

For tempering

———————-

Melted ghee – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Asafoetida ( hing/ Perungayam) – 2 pinches

Chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsps

Method

Soak tamarind in a cup of water for 20- 30 mins. Squeeze well and take the extract.

Wash and chop tomatoes.

Wash and soak tuvar dal for half an hour. Drain the water, add fresh water, chopped beetroot ,turmeric powder and half of chopped tomatoes and pressure cook for 4/5 whistles. The dal and the vegetables should be cooked soft.

  

Cool and grind this to a puree.

Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a pan and add all the ingredients mentioned for the spice powder. Roast till you get a good aroma. Cool and grind this to a powder. 

  
In a pan, add the tamarind extract, remaining tomatoes, grated jaggery and salt to taste. Let it boil till the tomatoes turn soft and the raw smell of tamarind goes away.

Add the dal puree, spice powder and 2 cups of water and mix well. If it’s very thick, add little more water. This rasam is thicker than the usual rasam consistency. Check for the seasonings. 

  

Let it simmer on a medium flame. Switch off the gas, once it starts simmering.

Heat ghee in a pan. Add mustard. When it starts spluttering, add cumin seeds and asafoetida. Sauté for few seconds and add the tempering to the rasam.

Garnish the rasam with chopped coriander leaves and serve the rasam hit with steamed rice drizzled with little melted ghee. This can be served as a soup also:)

   

 

Rajma Ghassi

My husband is not at all fond of Rajma, whereas I love rajma. Rajma and rice is one of my most favourite meal.
Today I thought of making rajma in a different way to see if my husband would like that. First I thought of making rajma in chetinadu style. Then I saw this Ghassi recipe in the net. It is a traditional dish from Mangalore and was very interesting . Being a coconut based recipe I was almost sure that my husband would like this recipe.

Am very glad that I was not disappointed. He really liked it and I hope you all would like it too:)

  
Ingredients 

Rajma – 1/2 cup

Onion- 1

Tamarind – small lemon sized

Grated jaggery – 2 tsps

Salt to taste
For the masala

Coriander seeds ( dhania) -1 tbsp 

Cumin ( jeera) – 1 tsp

Fenugreek ( methi/ vendhayam) – 1/4th tsp

Pepper – 1/2 tsp

Red chillies – 6-7

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Garlic – 3-4 cloves

Grated coconut- 1/2 cup
Oil – 3 tsps

Mustard – 1 tsp

Garlic – 4-5 cloves

Curry leaves – few

Hing – pinch
Method

Wash the rajma well and soak it overnight or 8-10 hours.

Drain the water, add fresh water, little salt and pressure cook for 7-8 whistles or till it becomes soft.

Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup water for 15-20 mins. Squeeze well and take the extract.

Heat little oil in a pan. Roast all the ingredients ( except garlic and coconut) mentioned for the masala.

  
Wash, peel and chop the onion finely. Sauté the onions in a tsp of oil till it turns pink.

Add half of this onion, turmeric powder, grated jaggery and tamarind extract to the cooked rajma and let it cook till the raw smell of tamarind goes away.

  
Grind the roasted masala along with garlic, coconut and the remaining onion to a smooth paste.

Dilute this paste in 1/2 cup water and add to the rajma. Add salt to taste, mix well and let it simmer on a medium flame for few mins.

   
 

Heat the remaining oil in pan. Add mustard. When it starts spluttering, add garlic ( crushed), curry leaves and hing. Pour the tempering over the gravy.

Serve the rajma ghassi hot with rice / roti/ dosa 🙂

   
 

Jackfruit Seeds Rasam

I have made so many types of rasam and I look forward to learn more. I never hesitate to try unique recipes. And I have come to understand that Karnataka cuisine has many delicious varieties of rasam.

One such rasam that I learnt very recently is Jackfruit seeds rasam. I learnt this from Jayanthy aunty, a very special and a sweet person whom I met at Chef at large, Chennai meet:)

She gave the recipe in detail. It was so unique and interesting that I couldn’t wait to try her recipe.

And I so glad that I made it today. I followed her recipe with very minute changes. Have to say friends that it’s one of the most delicious rasam that I have made till now:)

  
Ingredients

Jackfruit Seeds – 20

Tamarind- small gooseberry size

Tomatoes – 2 medium sized

Green chillies – 2

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Grated jaggery- 2 tsps

Salt to taste 
For the rasam powder

Oil – 1/2 tsp

Coriander seeds – 5 tsps

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Jeera ( cumin) – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds ( methi/ vendayam) – 1/2 tsp

Pepper – 1/4th tsp

Mustard – 1/4th tsp

Red chillies- 6-8
For tempering

Ghee – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Red chillies – 2-3

Garlic – 4-5 cloves

Hing – 2 pinches

Chopped coriander leaves – 1 tbsp

Method

Remove the skin from the seeds, wash well and boil the seeds till it becomes soft.

Cool and grind to a coarse paste.

   
 

Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water for 20-30 mins. Squeeze well and take the extract.

Wash and chop tomatoes.

Wash and slit green chillies.

Add tomatoes, tamarind extract, salt to taste, grated jaggery and turmeric powder in a pan. Boil well till the tomatoes turn soft.

  
Roast the ingredients mentioned for rasam powder in little oil. Cool and grind to a powder.

  
Mix the jackfruit seeds paste, 3 tsps of rasam powder and 2 cups of water well so that there are no lumps. Add this to the boiled tamarind mixture. Mix well. Check for the seasonings. If it’s thick, add little more water. This rasam is more thicker than the regular rasam.

Let the rasam simmer on a medium flame. Do not let it boil.

  
Heat ghee in a pan. Crush the garlic cloves.Add mustard. When it starts spluttering, add red chillies, crushed garlic and hing. Sauté till the garlic turns golden. Add the tempering to the simmered rasam.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice drizzled with little melted ghee:)