Raspberry Smoothie

I had wonderful fresh raspberries, some old apples, coconut water and over ripe banana... I could not see them go to a waste, so i chopped 2 apples roughly, peeled the banana, sliced it, a handful raspberries, half a cup of coconut water and put all of these ingredients into the blender with 4 cubes of ice and i had an amazing smoothie... you can also use your imagination to create your own smoothie... yumm!!!

Steamed spicy lentil balls, (Nuchhina Unde/ Pidiche)

The snack I bet is most nourishing and healthy. High on protein and low in fat, one tasty mix of lentils which can make a good snack or a side. Good for growing kids, who need a lot of protein. We make it on a festival "Vinayaka Chowti", the birthday of lord Ganesha as this is his favorite snack. Give it a taste and you will realize why? Try it and find out for yourself. Every household has a different way of making them. we like them this way.. Enjoy.

Perp Time : 30 Mins

Cook time : 30 Mins

Pieces: upto 25

Ingredients:

1. Split Yellow lentils (Toor dal) - 1 cup

2. Spilt Moong (Moong dal) - 1/2 cup

3. Split chickpeas (Chana dal) - 1/2 cup 

4. Coconut scrapings fresh or frozen - 1/2 cup

5. Green chillies/dry chillies - 7 to 8 (more or less according to your taste)

6. Ginger root - 1 to 1 1/2" piece roughly chopped.

7. Cilantro/coriander leaves - a handful

8. Dill weed - a handful (optional)

9. Salt - to taste

For tempering:

1. Oil - 1 tbsp

2. Curry leaves - 1 string, finely chopped

3. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

4. Asfoetida - 3 pinches

5. Turmeric - 2 pinches

Method:

1. Soak all the three dals/lentlis overnight or 5 hours minimum.

2. Make a coarse batter of all the ingredients excluding salt. The batter must be made without water or adding very little water, it has to hold the solid shape of the fist. Add salt just before you are ready to make the ball and mix well.

3. take some batter into your fist and press gently till it holds a oval shape. like wise make all the batter into such balls and steam them in a pressure cooker without the whistle on or in any other steamer for 20 mins or till well done. Let it cool in the cooker/steamer for about 10 minutes before you take it out. Cool further till you can handle them. 

3. Heat oil in a big wok and make the tempering by adding mustard seeds first after the splutter, add asfoetida, turmeric and curry leaves and turn the stove off. Break the balls you steamed into the wok. Make sure you have not left any big chunks.

4. Turn the stove back on and mix the tempering and the steamed mixture well. Do not over heat as it will make the balls dry and they wont hold the shape.

5. Once the mixture is cool enough to handle, make the ball again like the previous time and eat them up.

Serving Suggestions:

It tastes good as it is, however, can be served with coconut/Sweet tamarind chutney or both. Or it can be served with a broth called "majjige huli", for which I have uploaded a recipe. Just click on the name to navigate.

Tips:

1. If you have a idly stand, just press the mixture into the idly trays and steam them in the shape of idlys. 

2. If you want, you can mix the tempering to the raw mixture and steam them, you will not have to recook anything again. This save some time.

3. If you want you can resteam the balls after you mix the already steamed balls to the tempering. This is very time consuming though... you may give it a try.

4. You may use onions, if you do, please do not use coconut. Finely chop onions and saute it in the tempering and continue with same method. 

5. You may just use chana dal (split chickpeas) or Split yellow lentils (Toor dal)... I use all three to include different kinds of protein and this particular mixture gives a wonderful taste. 

6. You can grind curry leaves with batter, this will make sure the flavour is mixed evenly through the mixture. If you add it in tempering, it might not be the case.

7. If you have food processor attachment which cops veggies, this will give the perfect consistency for the batter... a blender attachment may make a very smooth paste as opposed to the needed coarse batter.

Groundnut/Peanut broth with rice (Kadile beejada gojju)

This is a thick sweet, sour and hot broth, generally eaten with steaming hot rice. This gojju is made in the border areas of Andhra and karnataka... this is an instant and absolute favorite of everyone in my family..

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4 approx

Ingredients:

For dry roasting :

1. Peanuts/groundnuts - 1 cup (if you have plain roasted peanuts, they work too. The skinned version will save you time).

2. Dry Chilli - about 5 to 6, if you eat a lot hotter add more

3. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

4. Coriander seeds - 2 tsp

5. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp

6. Cinnamon - 3 to 4 small pieces or 1/2 tsp powder

7. Clove - 3 to 4 or 1/4 tsp powder

8. Dry coconut - about 2 tbsp, if you have fresh, you about 3 tbsp.
9. Sesame seeds - 1/4 cup

Other Ingredients:

1. Jaggery  - 1 to 2 blocks, depends on how sweet you want it... 

2. Tamarind paste - 1 to 2 tsp depends on how sour you want it, please alter these quantities according to your taste.

3. Salt - to taste

4. Onion or okra or cucumber (chopped) - (optional) will taste good if you add any one of them.

5. Cliantro/green coriander for garnish, about a tbsp

6. Water - as required to cook okra and make gojju thinner, please eye ball.

For Tempering:

1. oil - 3 to 4 tsp

2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

3. Asfoetida - a pinch

4. Turmeric - a pinch

5. Curry leaves - a sting

Method:

1. Dry roast all the ingredients one after the other till they are well done in a skillet. The way you will know they are done is by smelling them, the spices give out a very good aroma when they are just right. Please do the dry roasting on low or medium heat and keep them stirring constantly for an even roast. (if using fresh coconut, do not dry roast it)

2. If using fresh coconut, put that into a blender and all the dry roasted masala and grind it in to a smooth paste.

3. Now in a pot, make the tempering as follows. On medium heat, pour oil and add mustard seeds and wait till it splutters. Now add Asfoetida, turmeric, Dry Chillies and curry leaves. If using onion or okra it would be the time to add them. Stir them around and add tamarind paste and jaggery. Add a little water (sufficient for okra to cook) and let okra get cooked. If using Onion, let it turn slightly golden brown and then add tamarind paste and jaggery and some water, depending on how thick or thin you want the broth to be in both cases.

4. Once okra/cucumber is cooked, add the masala and salt as required, let it cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. If using onion, just add the masala & salt after the jaggery melts.

5. Add cilantro to garnish and the broth is ready to eat with steaming hot white rice... 

Tip:

If you have an oven, put all the ingredients on a cookie sheet, heat the oven to 350F for 10 minutes. Put the tray in and let it stay there for 12 minutes approx. Make sure you have spread them evenly. do not add dry coconut or fresh. if using dry coconut in this method, dry roast it on stove top separately.

I am sure once you make this, you will keep making it over and again.