Adhirasam or Ariselu or Kajjaya or Arisa or Anarsa - Traditional Diwali or Deepavali Delicacy (sweet)

Adhirasam fried in ghee/clarified butter

Adhirasam/Ariselu/Kajjaya/Arisa/Anarsa is a sweet dish prepared in most of the South-Indian homes during the Diwali/Deepavali festival. In the state of Tamil Nadu, this sweet is called by the name 'Adhirasam', in Andhra Pradesh, it is called as 'Ariselu' or 'Neti Ariselu', in Orrisa, it is known as 'Arisa' and in Karnataka state, the same sweet is called by the name 'Kajjaya'. Now, coming to the Northen part of India, the sweet delicacy is called by the name Anarsa. The traditional iron-rich sweet can be prepared with sugar/jaggery, though traditionally, the use of jaggery was more. In Nepal and Sri-Lanka, too, this sweet is prepared and called by various names.  

Rajma Masala

Rajma Masala, the culinary gem of North India especially that falls under the Punjabi cuisine, is liked by most as the recipe calls for various nutritional ingredients apart from the protein-rich kidney beans. Cooking Rajma Masala requires patience as time and correct measurement of a variety of ingredients are allowed in the curry to get the right consistency and a perfect balance of taste and spices. There are a lot of variety in Rajmas. I always prefer the red colored large beans as the color of it makes the gravy rich and gives a good texture. Whatever variety, if cooked in a prefect way, makes the Rajma Masala wonderfully tasty. Try this recipe of Rajma Masala with fresh fragrances, filling up your kitchen with a warming aroma and when tasted, lingers in your mouth for quite sometime.

Kalchina Vankaaya Pacchadi - Roasted Brinjal Curry/dip

Kalchina Vankaaya Pacchadi is a very traditional chutney/dip that tastes best with steamed rice. This is purely a South-Indian cuisine whereas the same kind is prepared in North India too and famously called by the name 'Baingan Bharta'. Though this is again a part of the Panjabi cuisine, more or less the other parts of Northern India, also follow the same style. Here in the dish, 'Kalchina Vankaaya Pacchadi', a dash of tamarind instead of tomatoes are added, which is a major difference to both the northern and southern cuisine of India. Yet another major ingredient, which is added here is the dry red chilies, to impart a mild spicy flavor.  Curry leaves, which is an authentic flavored-ingredient of  Southern part are a must in any curry for its tantalizing and aromatic flavor. In most of the northern part, green chilies are added along with tomatoes to give a rich spicy-sweet flavor to this curry. 

Ingredients:

1. Brinjals/eggplants/Aubergine - 1 no. if it is bigger in size (or 3 to 4 no.s if it is smaller in size).

2. Onions - 1 to 2 nos. (thinly sliced lengthwise)

3. Dry red chillies - 2 broken into half

4. Curry leaves - 1 Spring

5. Tamarind - lemon size (soak the tamarind in water and extract the pulp from it)

6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.

7. Coriander powder - 2 tsp.

8. Chilly powder - 1 tsp.

9. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.

10. Salt to taste

11. Oil - 3 tbsp. 

Cooking Method:

1. Clean the brinjals with water and pat it dry. Apply some oil on it and allow it to roast on the flame until it is cooked inside and charred to the extent it turns absolute dark. Keep turning the brinjals for the even cooking on all sides.

2. Once the brinjals are roasted on direct flame, let it cool for a while and discard the charred skin of the brinjals, leaving little of the charred skin on it, if you desire the smoky flavor in the curry. 

3. Mash the roasted brinjals in a bowl, adding salt, tamarind pulp, turmeric powder, coriander powder and chilly powder.

4. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once it crackles, add curry leaves, red chilies followed by onions. Cook the onions until it slightly changes its color.

5. Add the mashed brinjals to the pan and fry this until all the rawness of the tamarind disappears. 

6. Serve the Kalchina Vankaaya Pacchadi with steamed rice with ghee/clarified butter/gingelly oil. Gingelly oil is Manchi Nune or Nuvvula Nune in telugu, which adds the extra taste.

Note:

1. The Brinjals/Aubergine/Eggplants can be oven roasted too, which yields the same results.

2. A dash of garam masala can be added to the curry but purely optional.

You might also like:

Vankaaya Annam (Brinjal Rice)

Vankaya Pullagura (Brinjal Tomato curry)

Kandagadda Vepudu (Elephant Yam Stir Fry)

Thotakura Pappu

Pan-fried Brinjals

Gutti Vankaaya Kura (Stuffed Brinjal Curry)

Set Dosa

Set Dosa is a popular breakfast dish of the Karnataka state of India. The dosas are served in a set of 3 or 4 in small size and hence its named, Set Dosa. The set dosa is different from an ordinary dosa or masala dosa, as its smaller in size, cooked both sides, as well beaten/flattened rice is added to this to give the dosa the spongy and soft texture. Here the parboiled rice though optional but if added gives the crispy taste to the soft dosas with a different flavour. Fenugreek seeds are also added for the colour and a good texture. Ultimately the clarified butter/ghee gives a perfect flavoured finish to these set dosas.

Ingredients:

1. Raw rice - 2 cups

2. Parboiled rice - 1/4th cup

3. Flattened/beaten rice/poha/atukulu/aval/avalakki - 3/4th cup

4. Black gram/urad dal - 1/4th cup

5. Fenugreek/methi seeds - 1 tbsp.

6. Baking soda - a pinch

7. Clarified butter/ghee to 4 tbsp.

8. Salt to taste

Cooking Method:

1. Mix both the rice and fenugreek seeds together, clean them, and soak them in the water for about 5 to 6 hours. For the same amount of time clean and soak the black gram too in the water separately.

2. Once the rice and black gram are soaked in water for the said time, before grinding, clean and soak the beaten rice/poha too in water (as this will get soft soon). Grind the black gram, and rice and poha separately and then mix them with salt, and keep it on shelf overnight or 7 to 8 hours for it to ferment. The batter should raise little for to understand its fermented.

3. Beat the batter soft adding salt to it like a thick pouring consistency.

4. Heat the dosa tawa or pan, drizzel some oil and pour the batter, and let the batter take its round shape. Cook the dosa on both sides, flipping over, drizzing some oil until done.

5. Serve this dosa with a coconut chutney and vegetable kurma, which is a great accompaniment to the set dosa.

Notes:

1. The fermentation of the batter under normal weather conditions takes around 7 to 8 hours. If its cold weather keep the batter in a container in the microwave or oven where is switch is on off mode so that the place remains warm.

2. If you want to get the batter fermented much in advance, squeeze some lemon juice into it or add some sour curd/buttermilk.

3. If using dosa rice, then take the quanity equal to the proportion to raw rice and parboiled rice together. Rest all remains same.

You might also like:

Sambar Vada

Masala Dosa

Idly

Instant Tomato Rice

Kanchivaram

Chow Chow Bhath

Upma

Raw Mango Rice

Ven Pongal

Ven Pongal

Ven Pongal is a popular breakfast dish of South India. Though there are different varieties of Pongal prepared in different states, this Ven Pongal is especially from Tamil Nadu Cuisine. In Tamil language, 'Ven' means white, and so that the dish follows. The main ingredients that goes in this dish are ghee, pepper, cumin, rice and split de-husked green gram. The rice and lentil cooked along with other spices makes it a creamy pudding like dish. The dish mainly calls for a whole black pepper, without it being crushed as the outer shell serves to seal in freshness, which also gives a pungent aroma and robust flavour in the dish. And of course, the other flavorful ingredients also constitutes to the taste of the traditional, Ven Pongal.