Paddu

Today I am going to share a very delicious snack food, mostly prepared in southern part of India.  Paddu (kannada ), appe (Konkani), ponganalu (telugu), paniyaram (tamil), unniyappam (Malayalam) like this different names exist in different part of India. For few kannadigas  it is “gundpangla”. We require a special mould to prepare the same. Sometimes one can even prepare these using Dosa batter. But the best taste and softness can get by preparing special batter. Nothing like hot paddus!

Ingredients:

1. Rice- 2cups
2. Urad dal-1cup
3. Puffed rice (churmuri)- 1 small cup
4. Fenugreek seeds-2 teasp
5. Onion -1 chopped very small
6. Coriander leaves-1/2 cup
7. Cumin seeds- 2 teasp
8. Salt to taste
9. Oil

Method:

1. Soak urad dal, rice, fenugreek seeds in water overnight. Also soak puffed rice in a separate bowl for around 6-8hrs
2. Grind all the ingredients together with little water, pour in a container and close it with a lid. Set it aside 8-10hrs for fermentation
3. Add salt, chopped onions, coriander leaves and cumin seeds. Mix well
4. Heat the mould by adding a drop of oil in every depression, once it is hot pour the batter into each depression and again put drop of oil above
5. Cover the mould and let it cook on medium flame. Then remove lid and let it roast
6. Now carefully unmould each paddu from the depressions of the mould and flip the side and roast for some time
7. Serve hot with coconut chutney or any other chutneys of your taste.

Things to remember:

1. The batter should be prepared little coarse and thicker than dosa batter for more crispy taste
2. For crispy texture and nice golden color fenugreek seeds are used
3. In case of nonstick mould you can skip the use of oil. But in case if you are using cast iron mould don’t forget to grease the depressions before.  
4. The puffed rice is used to make the paddu spongy and soft

Best combination:

It’s best served with coconut chutney and okra (bhendi) or capsicum or cucumber “rasa”( which I will be explaining very soon)

Stuffed Brinjal -- Ennegai

Stuffed Brinjal is cooked all over India in very different ways. The one that is explained in this post, is a very popular recipe in the Northern Karnataka region. It’s known as “Ennegai” in Kannada. To prepare this curry it requires lot of effort and immense patience but mind you all this effort is absolutely worth it.

Ingredients:

1. Small brinjals- 6
2. Oil- 2 tblsp
3. Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
4. Coriander chopped- a handful

     For Stuffing:

1. Onions- 1 ½ medium sized
2. Curry leaves chopped- 2
3. Freshly Grated Coconut- ½ cup
4. Groundnut powder- ½ cup
5. Ginger & garlic paste- 1 tsp
6. Tamarind paste- 1 tsp
7. Jaggery-  2 tsp
8. Masala powder-2 tsp (You can use any masala powder like garam masala or kitchen King if you don’t have a homemade one)
9. Chili powder-1tsp
10. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients mentioned above and keep the mixture ready
2. Chop out the stem and slice the brinjals in to quarters from stem to base without cutting the complete base (as it helps to hold the mixture). It should look like four petals. And place them in water
3. Take out the brinjals from water and stuff the mixture as much as possible in the slits of brinjals. The mixture remaining can be used as curry while cooking
4. Heat oil in frying pan and add mustard seeds.
5. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add the mixture remaining after stuffing. Sauté a little and close the lid
6. Let it cook for around 10 min and then add little water
7. Then place the stuffed brinjals into it. Cover the lid and let it cook on a medium flame.
8. Keep flipping sides of brinjals until they are completely cooked
9. The whole mixture slowly changes the color to golden brown.  That is the indication for the completion
10. Garnish with coriander leaves

Things to remember:

1. When cooking for your family, make sure that the brinjals you pick are smaller. It adds to the look of the dish; as the saying goes “One eats with all his senses”.
2. Make sure that the brinjals are cooked on medium flame until the raw smell of the curry goes and the color turns to golden brown

The best combination:

It’s best served with chapati or jawar roti with butter

Palak Rice

Palak rice also called Spinach rice is an easy and yet healthful recipe blended with rice and palak. There are probably many ways to prepare this recipe. I am sharing the simpler way which I have tried.

Ingredients:

1. Rice -1 cup
2. Water -2cups
3. Palak -1 big cup
4. Green chilies- 2 to 3
5. Peas- 1 small cup Or Cashew & Raisins- 1 tbsp
6. Ghee -2 spoons
7. Cumin seeds – ½ spoon
8. Ginger garlic paste -1/4 spoon
9. Lemon juice -1 spoon
10. Sugar to taste
11. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cook rice until the grains are firm and hold shape. Once cooled separate the grains
2. Grind chopped palak and green chilies with little amount of water
3. Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds
4. Once the cumin seeds turn to brown color add ginger garlic paste
5. Add green peas then the grinded paste (or cashew and raisins). Fry till the raw smell disappears
6. Squeeze lemon juice
7. Add salt and sugar according to your taste
8. Then add the cooked rice and mix well
9. Serve hot

Things to remember:

1. Rice should not be over cooked
2. Either of peas or cashew and raisins must be used for better taste
3. Don’t close the lid in the whole process of cooking you will lose the fresh green color of palak

The best combination:

It's best served with curd and/or freshly sliced sweet onion