Everybody has favourite food and relish them right ? As for me, Lemon Rice is my all time favourite, If I see it in any blog post I immediately make it :)).  I know I am so crazy of this rice, After started blogging and taking interest not only in cooking, but everything about it like the facts and figures about every Ingredient used, I sometimes feel why I tend to eat spicy and tangy food more often, is it because I lack something in my body which craves for tangy food..?, whatever it is I love this rice, even if given to me everyday I really don't mind. I suddenly realized I have never posted my favourite Rice dish of all time.
I have little story to tell you, Long back when I was doing my SSLC (10th), I was living in my Aunt's house, My Aunt made Lemon Rice and Curd (yogurt ) Rice and asked me to have food and said she would be back after her shopping and said she would come back and eat.  I always adored Radha perimma's cooking, she was my first Guru who taught me cooking from those days. coming back I ate and sat their studying in the lounge, I don't know how or why,  every now and then I must have got up went to the kitchen and kept eating it, God knows how I did it, I had completely emptied the whole bowl, even today when I think how I managed to eat so much rice!!, when she returned she was so upset that nothing was left and she had to eat only curd rice. She is no more but memories like these are my little treasures with her, who was my favourite periamma.
My mom makes the best chitranna according to me, we are all alike right ?, our Mom's are the best cook in the world and to their Grandchildren too.. :).  I have planned to post a few savouries and sweets when my mom is here with me. Her best recipes which she makes most of the times like day to day are the masala vada, Panniyaaram,Thenga burfi etcc..,
Coming to this recipe, it is kannada influenced lemon rice, which amma makes  when it is any special day like festivals or some kind small celebrations when you get bored of vangi bath, puliyodarai etc..,
In karnataka people use coconut just like keralites they use coconut in most of their dishes especially form Mangalore, sringeri and udupi.  we here in karnataka love coconut so much we tend to use it everything possible, sweets to savouries :).  This Masala chitranna is one such dish as it says in kannada coconut grinded with masala has been used to flavour this rice variety..

KAAYI MASAALE CHITRANNA / COCONUT SPICED LEMON RICE

INGREDIENTS:
1 and 1/2  Cups Rice
4 and 1/2  cups Water*
3 Capsicum
1 Cup Fresh Peas
Required quantity of salt
1/4 cup Lemon Juice

FOR SEASONING:
1/4 oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tbsp Channa Dal
1/2 tbsp Urad Dal
Fist full of Peanuts
2 twigs of Curry leaves (10-15)

FOR THE SPICY MASALA TO BE GRINDED
5 to 6 Green chillies (depending on the spiciness)**
1/4 (10 to 12 twigs) cup of Coriander leaves
1/2 tsp Jeera
2'' Ginger pieces

FOR THE SECOND PASTE
1/2 cup Fresh Coconut
1 tbsp of Poppy seeds
15 Cashews

METHOD:
Wash Rice and with a tsp of oil***, cook Rice with the right amount of water. for 2 Whistles switch of the stove, and leave the pressure cooker to cool. (see notes)
The First Paste:
Meanwhile, roast poppy seeds in a dry pan for a few minutes in a low flame, stop when you start hearing it spluttering , and then your broken cashews just for 2 minutes, let it not change colour.  Allow it cool and grind it with fresh coconut with a little bit of water if needed into a smooth paste and keep aside, until needed.
The Second Paste:
Grind every thing under the spicy masala  to be grinded into a smooth paste.

Chop Capsicum/ Green Bell peppers into small chunks.
By this time your Rice would have cooled down, Remove it from the container and spread it on a large plate or something similar, to cool down, Just fork it through so it is nice and fluffy. Do not mix too much, just spread it around carefully.
Take a Large wok or pan heat the oil keeping it in a low flame, from the Seasoning list, add mustard seeds, once it splutters add Peanuts saute for a minute then add the dals until they change colour to light golden, by that time your peanuts would have started making noises be careful some times they might fly !!, so, that is why I ask you to keep the flame low, if you are not used to this kind of cooking.
Then add the Second paste and saute for 2 minutes, then add Capsicum and fresh peas mix them well together, cover it with a lid , keep the flame low. Leave it until both of them are cooked well if the capsicum is a little bit crunchy it is fine, but let the peas get cooked, (you can even cook the peas separately and add it to the pan by draining the water completely) by mixing now and then to make sure it is not stuck.
Once they are done, then add the First  masala paste and mix well, here you can increase the flame to medium but keep an eye on it and leave it for few minutes until the water content is almost dried up.  Do not allow it dry up too much as the coconut will start sticking to the wok.
Bring the flame down to low then add the required quantity of salt and Lemon Juice mix well then add the cooked rice, combine them all well together.
Taste it and adjust salt and Lemon Juice to your liking Leave the wok on the stove for 5 minutes with a closed lid and in a low flame.
Switch of the stove and remove it on to an other base, mix them once again, so it is all well distributed. Serve it warm and Enjoy....

NOTES:
* I have indicated this mark on the rice, Just to mention that I use Sona Masoori, The quantity of water depends on the Rice you use. Your Rice when cooked should be fluffy and beautiful for making Rice varities.
** My Green chillies were quite spicy so I have used 1/4 cup Lemon juice, what you need to observe is these two should balance there must be spiciness and the tangy flavour to it.

sending this to Vardhini's show me your hits - Rice started by sangee
Anu's Healthy kitchen South Indian Cooking - Series Event #1

The post Kaayi Masaale Chitranna / Coconut Spiced Lemon Rice appeared first on My Veg Fare.

STUFFED SMALL BRINJALS / THUMBIDA BADANEKAAYI / BARWA BAINGAN

INGREDIENTS:
For the Curry:
16 Small Brinjals
Few Curry Leaves (2 to 3 sprigs)
1/4 Cup or 5 tbsp of Oil
1 tsp of Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of Turmeric powder
Marble size Jaggery (optional)
20 gms/size of Marble/ 5 to 6 Flakes of Tamarind
Few Coriander Leaves to Garnish (5 to 6 stalks)
2 Medium sized Onions
4 to 5 Garlic Pods
Salt as Required

For the Masala Powder :
1 Cup Coriander seeds
1 tbsp Urad dal
1-1/2 tsp Bengal gram Dal
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1-1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Poppy seeds
1/2 tsp Pepper corns
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
2 Sticks (1'' Pieces) Cinnamon sticks
4 Cloves
3 to 4 Marati Moggu
1/4 tsp Asafoetida/Hing
1-1/2 tbsp of White Till seeds
1-1/2 tbsp of Uchellu / niger seeds
60 gms / more than 1/4 cup of Dry Copra
1/4 Cup Peanuts/Ground nuts
6 - 5 Guntur -Badgi Dry Red Chillies

METHOD:
First of all soak around 20gms/size of marble/5 to 6 Flakes of Tamarind in 1 cup of hot water
In a tsp of oil add Fenugreek first, when it turns golden brown in colour, add cinnamon sticks, Marati Moggu, cloves and fry for a minute, then add Mustard seeds, pepper corns, Dry Red Chillies and cumin fry for a minute when they smell very nice, and the cumin turns golden in colour, then take all of them out in a plate, now add Channa dal fry with a drop of oil until it changes colour take it out, then another tiny bit of oil and fry Urad dal until it changes colour take it out, then add another tiny bit of oil add Coriander seeds and fry until they change colour to golden colour, Leave them on the plate until they cool down. (you can also fry the dals and coriander seeds together with the other ingredients one by  one)
In the same wok fry ground nuts nicely until it changes colour, may be 5 minutes to 7 minutes, the skin starts peeling off, take it out and allow it cool.
Then fry both the Till seeds  separately (White and Niger seeds) until they start popping or spluttering out, take these out on to a plate to cool
Grate the Dry Copra/ Coconut fry just for a minute and keep it aside to cool.
Rubbing in both palms remove the skin and the small nodes in the Ground nuts and Grind just the two parts of the nuts and powder and keep aside.
Once they are all cool Grind the dals first into a smooth powder then to this add the Till seeds and the Dry Coconut/Copra and make the powder.
Now your Masala powder is ready. This powder can be stored in an Air tight container. when ever you want to make this gravy, Vegetable bath, or any dry curry with any other vegetables which might go well with the masala, Gojjus or you can even use it for sambhar (omitting adding of til seeds).

Once the Masala is ready now the process is easy.
Here I did a little variation, actually I did not grinded both the coconuts into a smooth paste rather than using the Dry copra to make the masala powder as I intended to use all the powder immediately and I did not keep it for any storing.
Take the 2 Onions and Garlic pods and grind them into a smooth paste.
In a bowl take the Masala powder, Ground nut powder, Onion - Garlic paste, and Coconut paste mix all this together with 1 tbsp of salt.
Slit open the Brinjals as shown and fill up them with masala powder and keep it ready. you will be left with some masala powder paste as well.

Take a large pan/ wok heat 1/4 cup of oil to this add mustard seeds, when they splutter add turmeric powder and slide in the filled Brinjals and curry leaves into the pan and saute them carefully for 2 minutes until all the brinjals are coated with oil.
You will be left with some masala powder paste, to this add nicely squeezed Tamarind water to this remaining paste, mix well together  add this to the Pan as shown in the picture add another 2 to 3 cups of water depending on how gravy you want your subzi to be and also adjust the salt, remember you have already added some to the powder paste while filling the Brinjals, Cover and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes in a low flame, just check now and then and turn them around slowly, so that they don't get squished and dry up, if it dries up add a bit of water.

But, usually it cooks well in that flame and the gravy thickens too, chop few fresh coriander leaves and Garnish and serve hot with Roti, Naan, pulkas or chapatis.
Here is an other click of my Badanekaayi Yennagai..

will write about Jolada rotti soon....

Variation: If you cannot get Tamarind you can substitute it with 2 small Tomatoes.
Do not forget to adjust salt and Red chillies to your taste, as chillies usually differ.

I am sending this to Kavita's Healing food - Egg plant event , started by Siri.
Hope you enjoy making it as we did.. Have a good day... take care... bye..... c u soon.....

The post Stuffed Small Brinjals North Karnataka Style/ Thumbida Badanekaayi/ Barwa Baingan appeared first on My Veg Fare.

KUMBAKONAM KADAPPA

The post Kumbakonam kadappa (Potato Gravy from the city of Kumbakonam) appeared first on My Veg Fare.

QUINOA AND POPPY SEEDS POWDER

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp Poppy Seeds
2 tbsp Quinoa
2 tbsp Coriander seeds
2 tsp Channa Dal
1 tsp Urad Dal
Salt as Required

METHOD:
Dry Roast Poppy seeds and Quinoa until they change colour, and nice aroma comes out keep it is aside.
Again in the same wok with a tsp of oil fry the other ingredients with out salt and fry it well until they change colour.
Once they are cool grind them into a coarse powder in an air tight container.
You can use this stir-fry or dry curry recipes. It's a really good one and a keeper
This goes to Tried and Tasted event from Priya'seasyntasty reicpes hosted by PJ of seduce your taste buds, started by Zlamushka and is now taken care of by Lakshmi of Kitchen Chronicles.

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KHUS-KHUS KHEER/ GHASA-GHASA PAAYASAM/ WHITE POPPY SEEDS SWEET DRINK

The post Khus-khus Kheer, Ghasa-ghasa Payasam/ white poppy seeds sweet Drink appeared first on My Veg Fare.

The post Potalakaya Palu Posina Kura (Snake Gourd Milk curry) appeared first on My Veg Fare.