29 BASALE SOPPINA BHAJJI

Basale Soppu / Bachali Kurakku / Kodi Pasalai /Vine or Creeping or Climbing or Malabar Spinach Bhajji/Bajji/Fritters.

 

These leaves are slightly thicker than regular spinach and more intense in flavor. This variety produces dark green leaves and vines and the stem are either green or violet in color. This plant was grown right in our garden at home( Mom's place in Bangalore), as kids we used to play with these leaves and especially the fruit. They were green and violet in colors and we used to remove and press to make colors and squeeze on others for fun or draw on ground.
After many years had the chance to cook with these leaves, my neighbour friend grows these leaves in her garden and every summer she shares them with me and now her mom who is visiting her has given me some more recipes using the leaves and stem( typical Mangalorean dishes) which I am yet to try.


Making bhajjis is not something new to me. My mom used to make this bhajjis on most evening for snacks. Bhajjis were served in varieties  with some onion, potato and some greens or veggie bhajjis. These leaves were plucked right before making, washed and cleaned and prepared as bhajjis. They were just irresistable and the taste is simply superb. The leaves will be lightly crisp and the taste just awesome. Do try it out, you will definitely agree with me.

 
Basale soppu/ Climbing Spinach Leaves - around 15
Besan/ Chick pea flour/ Kadalai Maavu - 1 cup Heaped
Rice Flour - 1 tbsp
Salt - as needed
Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp( or more if needed)
Cumin powder - 1/8 tsp(optional)
Hing/Asafoetida - 2 or 3 pinch
Oil for deep frying 
Wash and pat dry the leaves. Keep aside.
In a bowl mix all the ingredients except oil , see there are no lumps. Can also add few sprinkles of pepper powder. Add water
little by little and mix into to right dipping/dropping consistency. Heat oil for deep frying. Dip the leaves in the batter
and drop in oil. Deep fry intil golden brown and crispy. Remove and serve with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup.

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24 SEMIYA BIRYANI

Semiya / Vermicelli Biryani.



I often make many dishes using semiya and this biryani is one such and a big hit among my friends, also they have tried it out many times and told me that it has turned out perfect. This can be made as a substitute to rice and enjoyed during lunch or at dinner.

The flavor got from the spices added to this biryani gives out a good taste with the vermicelli cooked to the right texture.

You can cook vermicelli right with the masala or cook seperately and later add to the cooked masala and mix.

If making in small batch I cook it together and will cook seperately if I am making it in a big batch to reduce cooking time and to retain the texture.

Vermicelli - 2 cups
Onion - 1 larged chopped
Tomato - 1 medium or 2 small chopped
Green Chillies - 2 slit long
Vegetables - Mixed veggies - 1 cup(or little more if needed)
Ginger and Garlic Paste - 3/4 tbsp
Chilli powder - 3/4 tsp( as spice needed)
Garam Masala(or Biryani Masala)powder - 1/2 tsp( or as spice needed)
Mint Leaves - a handful
Coriander Leaves - few chopped
Lime Juice - 3 - 4 drops
Salt as needed
Oil or ghee - 1 - 2 tbsp
Spices  - clove -2, cinnamon - 2 small, cardamom -2, bay leaf - 1, cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp 

Dry roast semiya/vermicelli in a wide pan or pressure pan till light pink/brown. Remove and keep aside.
In the same pan add oil or ghee and add the spices , wait for few seconds and add chopped onion. Fry till transculent and add green chillies. Saute and add ginger and garlic paste. Saute till raw smell leaves for around a minute and add chopped tomatoes. Mash and cook till pulpy and water leaves out.next add the cleaned veggies and saute till it is 3/4 cook(can skip this part and partially cook the veggies in a microwave or steam them separately and add). Next add cleaned and washed mint leaves and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well for a minute and add the powders. Stir well and water( for every cup of vermicelli add 1 and half cup of water). Also add salt and allow it to boil and bubble up. Reduce flame and add the roasted semiya /vermicelli and lime juice and cook till is soft. Cover with a lid and wait for 10 minutes. Remove and serve with raita or pickle or salad.

If adding cooked semiya :-

Boil enough water in a vessel. Add few drops of oil and little salt and wait for it to bubble up. Add roasted vermicelli and reduce flame. Cook till done. Take some cook semiya in hand and press to see if it is cooked. If they are hard cook for another 2 - 3 minutes or drain water and run cold water on the cooked semiya to reduce stickiness( just the way we cook noodles). Add this after adding the powders along with lime juice and you are done with making your delicious semiya biryani.

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19 KAMBU SADHAM

Pearl Millet - English, Kambu - Tamil, Sajje - Kannada, Sajjalu - Telugu, Bajra - Hindi

Kambu Sadham, Kambu(sajjala) Koodu, Pearl Millet Rice

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is the most widely grown type of millet. It is also a staple food for farmers around the country.  Is highly nutritious and gluten free.

Recently have been getting requests to post some authentic village recipes, recipes with millets and this is one among them. I have seen my grand ma make this many times at home, my mom and dad love this dish - but when we were kids never even went near it or tasted. But now want to note down the recipes the way they cooked along with the tips so it is saved here and available for future reference and also for people who want to try this highly nutritious dish.

At home we call this as Kambu or Kambula Koodu.

Pearl Millet - 1 cup
Water - 3 - 3 1/2 cups
Salt - as needed
Butter Milk - 1/4 - 1/2 cup
Or instead of buttermilk use pullillu ( * look for details below)

* Pullillu is a name of the excess drained out water used for cooking rice( normal cooking/eating rice) in my home language.
When rice is cooked on stove top along with water and rice, once soft and cooked the vessel is covered with a plate and the excess water is drained out. This water is collected and stored for couple of days. As days go by the water turns sour but consumable. Back in my native this water was used instead of buttermilk. This is the what my mom said and that people now their don't know what it is now. She grew up hearing this water and its usage.

 

Wash/rinse pearl millet once or twice and pound in stone or mixer. Run in till is coarsely powdered( not too fine, but like rawa/sooji consistency). There is no need to soak, but you can for 15 - 20 mts to powder it if the mixer is not good enough to powder.

Take a broad vessel or pressure pan add water and salt. Add the ground mixture and cook for 20 - 25 mts stirring now and then to avoid any lumps. It will start to thicken and reduce the stickiness. Dip a spoon or finger in water and touch to see if it is sticky. If it does then have to cook for another 5 mts. Next add buttermilk( or the pullillu water) and cook for again 5 mts by then it will start to get thick. Remove and cool. Serve as it is or prepare balls and serve with some spicy gravy or with just some small onions and green chillies to bite in the side.

The reason they add the pullillu water is that is stays good for 1 - 2 days out in normal temperature and also to get some sour taste.

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