Rice Kheer with Cahew-Almond Paste

Rice Kheer made from Jeera Samba Rice cooked in milk & Cashew-Almond paste. Jeera Samba Rice is fried in ghee and cooked. It is then added to boiling milk along with cashew-almond paste flavored with saffron and fried nuts. Jeera Samba rice gives nice aroma and flavor to the kheer. Cashew-Almond paste makes the kheer thick and creamy. Saffron for color and nuts for the crunch.

Ingredients :

• Jeera Samba Rice - 1 cup
• Water - 3 cups
• Milk - 4 cups
• Cashewnuts - 15
• Almonds - 30
• Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Chopped nuts - 1/4 cup
• Saffron - few strands
• Saffron Color a pinch (Optional)

Method :

• Wash jeera samba rice and soak them in water for 20 mins. Drain & Keep aside. Soak cashew nuts and almonds separately in hot water for 20 mins. 

• Peel the skin of almonds and take them in a mixer jar along with cashew nuts. Add little water and grind it to a fine paste.

• In a pressure cooker heat 2 tbsp ghee and fry drained jeera samba rice for 4-5 mins till aromatic. 

• Add 3 cups of hot water and stir. Close with the lid and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles or till rice is done. Open the lid once pressure subsides.

• In a non-stick thick bottom pan take 4 cups milk and let it come to a boil. Once it starts boiling add cooked rice and mix well.

• Add cashew-almond paste and allow it to come to a boil. 

• Add sugar and mix well. Add saffron strands and saffron color dissolved in water. 

• Mix well and simmer for few more mins till desired thickness is attained (Kheer will also thicken as it cools down). Check for sweetness and adjust. Fry chopped nuts (Cashews, almonds, pistas and raisins) in 2 tbsp ghee. Lastly add fried nuts to the kheer and mix.

• Serve the kheer hot or cold.

Egg Bonda

Boiled eggs are dipped in besan batter and deep fried. Egg Bonda are crispy from outside and soft eggy inside.

Ingredients:

• Eggs - 4
• Oil - 1 tbsp + for frying
• Water as needed
• For Batter :
• Besan - 1 cup
• Rice Flour - 1/3 cup
• Chili Powder - 1 tsp
• Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Hing/ Asafoetida a pinch
• Baking Soda a pinch

Method :

• Boil eggs with enough water for 10 mins. Let it cool and peel the skin. Cut them into half and keep aside.

• In a bowl take all the ingredients for batter. Mix well.

• Add 1 tbsp of hot oil. Mix well with out any lumps. 

• Add water and make a thick batter. Meanwhile heat oil in a kadai on medium flame.

• Take few eggs at a time. Dip them in the batter and slide in medium hot oil. Fry them till crispy.

• Serve warm with your favorite dip. 

Kala Chana Chaat/ Black Chickpea Chaat

Kala Chana Chaat is easy and quick recipe if the chutneys are in handy. It is a healthy snack loaded with boiled black chickepeas which is rich in proteins, veggies for the flavour, nuts and sev for the crunch. This chana chaat has spicy and tangy taste from the chutneys added to it.
In this recipe you can adjust, add or skip the ingredients as per your liking. So don't go for the exact measurement.

Ingredients:

• Black Chana - 1 cup
• Potato - 1 medium-sized
• Onion - 1/4 cup finely chopped
• Tomato - 1/4 cup finely chopped
• Cucumber - 1/4 cup finely chopped
• Green Chutney - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Dates Tamarind Chutney - 2 tbsp
• Chaat Masala as needed
• Black Salt as needed
• Masala Peanuts - 1/8 cup
• Congress Peanuts - 1/8 cup
• Papdi - 5 to 6
• Sev for garnishing

Method :

• Soak black/brown chana overnight or for 6-8 hours. Pressure cook with enough water and salt to taste. Pressure cook potato along. Strain chana, peel and roughly smash the potatoes. (You can chop the potatoes too.)
• In a bowl take cooked chana. Add the potatoes.

• Add chopped onion, tomato and cucumber. Add in green and tamarind chutney. (You can add some fresh coriander leaves chopped and lemon juice for more tanginess)

• Add peanuts and some crushed papdis. Sprinkle some chaat masala and give it a nice mix. 

• Check for salt and add black salt accordingly. Adjust the ingredients as per your taste.
• Transfer it to a plate and sprinkle some sev. Serve immediately.

Variations : Weight watchers can skip fried masala peanuts, papdi, sev and yet have a yummy snack.

Hitikida Avarekalu Mutton Saaru/ Pressed Hyacinth Beans & Mutton Curry

Avarekalu is the name for Hyacinth Beans in kannada also knows as surti papdi in hindi, mochakottai in tamil. Winter is the season of avarekalu in bangalore and you can see each house having a dish made out of it. It is added in many of the dishes like upma, pulao, vangibath, sambar(avarekal huli), kurma, curry(avarekal saaru), lemon rice, salad(avarekal usli) etc.

Outer peel of the seed is taken by soaking avarekal in water overnight and pressed between the fingers. This form is called hitikida avarebele which means "pressed" hyacinth beans. It is added in akki roti(rice flour roti), mutton curry, savouries(avarekal Mixture), etc. These are few recipes made in most of the homes in karnataka. There are lot more recipe you can find in Avarekal Mela held every year in Bangalore during the season.

Here is a recipe of authentic Mutton curry of Karnataka with Hitikida avarekalu. You can prepare this curry with mutton alone if it is off-season or if it is not available in your region. And Vegetarians can follow the same recipe by skipping meat & adding brinjal and potato along with Hitikida Avarekalu. This curry is served with steamed rice, chapati, dosa, idli and ragi ball.

Ingredients :

• Mutton - 250 gms
• Hitikida Avarekalu - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 medium-sized
• Garlic - 5 pods
• Tomato - 1 large
• Masala Powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp+1 tsp
• For Grinding :
• Coconut - 3/4 cup
• Onion - 1 medium-sized
• Ginger - 1 inch piece
• Garlic - 5 pods
• Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
• Clove - 4
• Coriander - 5 sprig

Method :

For Coconut Masala :

• In a pressure cooker heat 1 tsp oil. Add roughly chopped onion and fry till golden. Take the fried onion along with other ingredients for grinding in a mixer jar and grind to a fine paste. Keep aside until use.

For the curry :

• Wash mutton and keep aside. Finely chop onion and slightly crush garlic pods.
• In the same pressure cooker heat 2 tbsp oil. Add finely chopped onion and fry till translucent. Add crushed garlic and fry for a minute.
• Add drained mutton and fry till color changes. Add enough water and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles or till mutton is tender. Allow the pressure cooker to cool by itself. 
• Open the lid and add salt and masala powder (equal amount of chili powder and coriander powder with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder). Let it boil for 5 minutes.

• Add hitikida avarekal, chopped tomato and give a stir. 

• Add grinded coconut masala and required amount of water as per required consistency. (curry thickens during cooking and when it cools down)

• Check for seasoning and allow it to boil till avarekalu is cooked and oil floats on top.

• Serve hot to compliment steamed rice, chapati, idli, dosa or ragi ball.

Variations :

For vegetarians : Season with onion and garlic. Add chopped potato, water, salt and masala powder. When potato is half cooked add hitikida avarekalu, tomato, brinjal and coconut masala. Let it boil till the veggies are cooked.