I have been getting worried I am going to miss my postings for the few groups I have joined, I already missed one last month, I was not too happy about it, still I am planning to make it. But did not want to miss any more.  So, here I am with this post, I have no time to write as I always do, when Kalyani announced Magic Mingle # 9,  The Magical Ingredients were Pumpkin and Red Chillies,  I had a few ideas on what to do.., I started with this one, I had made Sponge Dosa mum made Aloo Palya ( Aloo dry curry) and we planned to make chutney to go with it, that was when I decided I was going to make pumpkin chutney.
It turned really delicious, the best part my younger girl who doesn't like chutney at all said it was really tasty!!
Here is how I made it.

PUMPKIN AND FRESH RED CHILLI CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS:
1 ( 125 gms) Cup chopped pumpkin / Squash
1 small onion
2 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
2  Red chillies
Fist full of Channa dal
1/4 cup grated fresh coconut
10 to 12 twigs of Coriander Leaves

SEASONING:
2 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
2 Dried Red Chillies
4 to 5 Curry Leaves

METHOD:
In a Pan add 2 tsp of Oil in a medium flame, when hot add mustard seeds, when they splutter add channa dal and fry until it changes colour, then add Fresh Red Chillies and chopped Onion fry until they are transparent, then add chopped Pumpkin / Squash and fry, bring the flame to a low flame, close a lid and cook pumpkin until nice and soft, do not add any water.
Stir it now and then so they don't get stuck to the pan.
switch of the stove, remove it on to a plate from the pan, allow it to cool then, grind it into a smooth paste adding required amount of salt and a pinch of Asafoetida.
Take a little tadka pan or any little pan, heat oil add mustard seeds once they splutter add dried Red Chillies and curry leaves saute a 30 seconds :)), switch of the stove and add it to the chutney.
Serve it with any Tiffin varities or mix it even with Rice and Enjoy...

 I served it with super soft Sponge Dosa ( will post it soon!!) with Amma's Aloo curry and Pumpkin chutney Looks so gorgeous right ?, I was talking about the whole plate, chutney has a lovely colour and tasted so delicious, Amma's Aloo curry was superb and the Dosa was so perfect with it.

The post Pumpkin & Fresh Red Chilli Chutney appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Coming back to the recipe, the method is simple, Interesting and delicious. You can do lot of variations too.., It is left to your Imagination.
I tweaked this recipe a little bit, as I had not used Toor dal from 3 to 4 days, I decided I will add 1/2 and 1/2 of both the dals. The original recipe is here you can check in priya's blog.

BANANA FLOWER BLOSSOM DUMPLINGS/VAZHAPOO PARUPPU URUNDAI

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Banana Blossom/Flowers
1/2 cup Channa Dal
1/2 Cup Tuvar Dal
1 tsp Fennel
1'' fresh Ginger
3 to 4 Green chillies
2 Garlic pods (optional)
1 Big size Onion
A few curry leaves
A few coriander leaves
Salt as required

METHOD:
Wash and soak the both the Dals for around 2 hours, Then drain them grind them coarsely with green chilles, Ginger, garlic and Fennel, To this add chopped coriander, curry leaves and chopped banana Flowers, mix them well, Make it into small balls and pressure cook them for 10 minutes like how you make Idlies, No weight on the pressure cooker.
These Dumplings I have used to make this Paruppu Urandai Rasam.
Thanks priya for both these dishes.

The post Steam Cooked Banana Flower Blossom Dumplings/Vazhapoo Paruppu urundai appeared first on My Veg Fare.

When I was in India, when ever I used to call her and tell her I am coming home with my kids in an hour and Lo!, within a few minutes I reach, she used bring these vadas in a plate..., just like in the photo, that's what she did when i went to see her, bless her, they were so tasty, yummy, spicy, crispy mmm.., I need some other words to describe...., my children love it every time they gobble and turn around tell me, you don't have that kick in your vadas ma!..

MASALA VADA
Soaking time: 2 hrs
Prep time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
makes (medium sized) : around 25

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Channa dal
• 5 to 6 green chillies
• 1/2' ginger
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1/2 bunch dill leaves
• 1 or 2 Onions
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt as desired
• a pinch of asafoetida

METHOD

1. Wash and  soak channa dal for an one or two hours
2. Then grind it into a coarse paste in a mixer or grinding stone with ginger and green chillies
3. wash and chop dill leaves finely, chop onions.
4. Once dal is grinded, mix it with salt, chopped dill leaves, Onions and curry leaves
5. Add pinch of asafoetida or if it is in liquid form add a few drops
6. Add a tbsp of hot oil
7. add salt and mix well
8. while grinding, use as less water as possible, as I have told you earlier, more water while grinding it will absorb more oil.
9. Keep this mixture ready in a container.
10. Take a wok for deep frying, pour oil and allow it to heat up, hold your hand on top of the wok a few inches (4 to 5 inches ) above the oil  and check if the oil is hot.
11. Keep the heat always to medium do not over heat, or else whatever you try to fry will fry quickly that is brown outside fast and will not quickly inside. 
12. Take a lemon size of the mixture, wet your palm with water and flatten it on your palm one by one and deep fry in the oil 4 to 5 at a time, depending on the wok you are using to fry them
13. deep fry the first batch take out and then fry the second batch, take them out and fry the first batch again and take it out these will come out nice and crispy, follow the same method with the rest of the batter.
14. This way of frying makes the vadas very crispy
15. Vadas are ready to serve with hot Tea or Coffee

PS: Options:

1. If you want the vadas to be a little soft amma says add 1 or 2 tbsp of fresh coconut while grinding.
2. You can use finely chopped 2 or 3 onions only
3. Or you can use dill leaves only
4. You can also add mint leaves with onions
5. You can use Dry red chillies instead of green chillies
6. If you do not add dill leaves or onions it becomes a plain vada

The post Masala vadai ( Paruppu vadai with Sozhi keerai ) appeared first on My Veg Fare.

UCCHELLU PUDI

METHOD I
Ingredients:

• 100 gms or 1 cup ucchellu (a kind of black Til)
• 15 to 20 gms or 1/4 cup Channa Dal
• 4-4 Red chillies (Guntur-Badgi)
• 3 to 4 flakes or marble sized Tamarind
• a piece of Jaggery
• oil to roast
• 1 to 1/2 tsp of salt or salt as required

METHOD:

1. First of all clean the Til or Ucchellu seeds and dry in the sun for some time then fry them a little until they are quite warm
2. Then with little oil roast chenna dal, red chillies and Tamarind
3. when they are cool with required quantity of salt grind them in the mixer to a fine powder consistency in the last round add scrapped jaggery and give a final grind.
4. mix together and now it is finally ready to serve, put it in a air tight container for a long shelf life.

METHOD II
Ingredients:

• 1 cup of Ucchellu
• 1/4 cup peanuts
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 2 tbsp of dry coconut or copra or dessicated coconut
• a marble sized tamarind
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Urad dal
• 4-4 Red chillies (Guntur-Badgi)
• oil to roast
• a little piece of jaggery

METHOD

1. Clean the Til and roast it in as you roast the til seeds
2. With a tsp of oil roast urad dal, chillies and tamarind and keep aside
3. Dry roast the peanuts or if u get roasted peanuts u can use them or you can also use the roasted & salted peanuts too, but just be careful when adding salt as peanuts already have salt in them !!!.
4. After roasting the peanuts dehusk them and remove all the outer covering. Now it is ready to use.
5. Grind all the ingredients into a fine powder again as usual in the last round add the scrapped jaggery, mix well together and store it in a air tight container for a long shelf life.

When I was writing this Recipe I was quite feeling hungry as i had not had my breakfast and I thought what am I going to eat, Just then I remembered this song from an old Kannada film, The song was like this I do not remember the name of the film but used to remember the first two lines of it all the time I keep murmuring it now & then ! The song is - '' Raagi rotti ucchellu chutney thandiv nan magne, moogina matta jadidu malago kalnan magane.......'' it means I have brought Raagi Rotti and Ucchellu Chutney eat till u fill up to the nose and sleep well....I think that fellow was an useless idiot who was whiling away his time, I haven't seen the movies, its a long time ago so must ask my hubby about this tonight when he is back and find out what it is !! well anyways, I just decided I am going to eat the same thing and here is palate of Ragi Rotti and Ucchellu chutney pudi.
Hoping you would also make and enjoy this uttara karnataka dish and eat it.

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