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Today is Shree Rama Navami which is one of the most important festivals for us. We Konkanis make many dishes today dedicated to Shree Rama which I have already shared in my Rama Navami recipe collection page. I also made Paanak and moong dal kosambari to celebrate this occasion.
Along with that, like always, I had to make a sweet too. Usually it would be jaggery Poha or godu phovu as we call it. But today I decided to make something different yet very tasty Aval Payasam. It’s easy and hardly take 15 mins to make but is delicious. Today as I made it on a special day, it was extra tasty due to Shree Rama’s divine grace. 🙏
I sat quickly to write the recipe as well so that it’s helpful for those of you who are looking for easy sweet recipes. Hope you all try and like it too. Wishing you all a very blessed Shree Rama Navami. Jai Shree Ram 🙏
RECIPE:
Ingredients: { Serves 3 to 4 people }
1 Cup = 240 ml
1/2 Cup thick Poha/ flattened rice/ Aval
2 Tbsp Ghee
Handful of Cashews and raisins
1 Cup thin Coconut milk (1/2 Cup thick coconut milk + 1/2 Cup water)
1 Cup thick Coconut milk ( I used canned)
1 Cup Jaggery powder
2 tsp Cardamom powder
Step by step recipe:
1. Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan. Add cashews and raisins. Roast till it turns slightly brown in colour.
2. Now add 1/2 Cup thick Poha. Roast for couple of minutes till it turns crisp.
3. Add 1 Cup thin Coconut milk. I had used canned coconut milk. I took 1/2 Cup of thick Coconut milk and added 1/2 Cup of water to make 1 Cup thin Coconut milk. Allow it to boil for about 5 mins.
4. Add thick coconut milk and jaggery, 1 Cup each together. Allow it to boil for about 5 to 8 mins till the Poha turns soft. Adjust the consistency of the Payasam if needed.
5. When the Payasam turns thick, add cardamom powder. Mix well. Done! Enjoy hot Payasam.
Notes:
* Use thick Poha and not thin as thin Poha will not give the desired texture of the Payasam.
* I have used canned coconut milk. You can use fresh one by grinding fresh coconut and sieving to extract the milk.
* You can increase the coconut milk depending on the Poha, if it absorbs and becomes thick.
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Whenever I ask my husband what breakfast he would like to eat when there is no dosa or idli batter, he immediately says “Batat Phovu”. 😄 And to imagine that he used to simply dislike potatoes when we got married. I used to beg him to please get us some potatoes as it used to be my favorite vegetable. Yes, “used to be” 😂 Now I have joined him in not liking potatoes so much but he is slowly liking them in some dishes and one of them is this Batat Phovu. 😍
In fact, it is he who suggested me that I should definitely share this recipe on the blog while I was sceptical as this is quite a well known recipe. “Everyone makes this and everyone knows the recipe..”, I told him. “But don’t think anyone can make it as perfectly as yours!”, was his reply instantly. (This man really loves what I cook 😂😂)
So I decided to share the recipe on the blog. Because if it helps even one, I will consider my efforts worthwhile. Though I am not a perfect cook in any way, some dishes I cook comes out really tasty and Batat Phovu is one among them.
Here’s sharing the simple recipe for those who don’t know yet. Hope it’s helpful for you. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️
RECIPE:
Ingredients: {Serves 2 to 3 people}
1 Cup = 240 ml
2 Cups Thick Poha / Rice flakes / Beaten rice
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 tsp Ghee
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Tbsp Peanuts
Few Curry leaves
3 Green chillies
1 medium sized Onion
2 medium sized Potatoes
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
A pinch of Asafoetida/ Hing
2 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp Coriander leaves, for garnish
2 Tbsp freshly grated Coconut, for garnish
Juice of 1/2 an Indian lemon
Step by step recipe:
1. Heat oil + ghee in a pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Allow mustard seeds to splutter. Now add peanuts, curry leaves and finely chopped green chillies. Fry for few seconds till peanuts get roasted.
2. Now add finely chopped Onion and fry till onions turn translucent.
3. Add peeled and finely chopped Potatoes and turmeric powder. Mix well and fry the potatoes for a minute. Now add few spoons of water. Cover and cook till the potatoes turn soft. Will take about 5 mins.
4. Meanwhile take Thick Poha in a bowl. Note to take thick variety of Poha and not the thin variety of Poha.
5. Now wash it well once or twice to remove impurities from it. Drain water completely after washing. Poha turns soft now. Add salt, sugar and hing powder. Mix well.
6. Once potatoes turn soft, add poha to it and mix well continually till the mixture combines. Cover and keep for 5 mins on very low flame.
7. Now remove from flame and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut. Drizzle lemon juice on top. Mix well. Serve hot. Done! ❤️
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Notes:
* We like the Poha soft and moist. So I wash really well and also cook after adding to the pan. If you don’t like it soft, you can wash only once and just mix in the pan and remove from flame without covering it.
* Batat Phovu is best had hot when freshly made. If kept for long, it tends to get dry. In case you have to make ahead, just sprinkle few drops of water while reheating before serving. That makes it moist again.
* You can skip potatoes if you don’t like and make simple Kanda Poha with only onions.
* Some people also add carrots, capsicum and peas to this making it Vegetable Poha which is even healthier but my family loves Batat Phovu the authentic way only. Just shared as I thought it’s a great idea.
* I add oil + ghee to enhance the flavour of the Batat Phovu. You can add only oil if you like.
* I mix salt, sugar and hing in the washed Poha instead of adding in the pan as I have seen it results in even mixing and tastes really good.
* The thick Poha I use does not need soaking at all and turns soft when I wash it twice. If your Poha is very hard, you will need to soak for few minutes to make it soft before use.
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I know if you have come here to read the recipe, you must be wondering as to what kind of Pohe this is. The name itself is so unique that I too was amazed as I read it few months back. My friend on Facebook, Aparna Kamat had posted this recipe and as part of a theme, I had tried it. Even though I was hesitant as to how it must taste with cabbage (also called Kobi in Goan side), I was surprised that it tasted so delicious and I never missed onions in my Pohe.
Thus Kobi Pohe found it’s place in my kitchen and I started making this whenever I had fresh Cabbage or when I felt like making Pohe on Pooja days and I needed to skip onions in my dish. Cabbage substitutes onion really well and you can never tell the difference. Aparna says this Pohe is made in our temples in Goa and I must say, what a great idea!
Though our breakfast is mainly Dosa and Idli varieties, some days the dosa batter is not sufficient for everyone and that’s when I make seasoned dishes like this Kobi Pohe for breakfast and relish it.
Hope you all try and love it too. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️
Thank you so much Aparna for your wonderful recipe. It’s a keeper for sure. ❤️
RECIPE:
Ingredients:
3 Cups Thick Poha/ Flattened rice/ Beaten rice
1 Cup Finely chopped/ Shredded Cabbage
2 medium sized Potatoes
3 to 4 Green chillies
1 inch Ginger piece, finely chopped
For seasoning:
1 to 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Tbsp Peanuts
A sprig of Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp Lemon juice, for garnish
1/4 Cup finely chopped Coriander leaves, for garnish
2 Tbsp freshly grated coconut
Step by step recipe:
1. Keep finely chopped Cabbage, peeled and chopped potatoes, finely chopped ginger, green chillies and curry leaves ready.
2. Take the thick Poha in a large bowl and wash it well removing impurities if any. Drain and keep aside.
Note: Be careful while washing Poha as some Poha requires only be sprinkled with water and it turns soft. My variety of thick Poha needs to be washed well and drained completely to get the desired texture.
3. I add salt to this softened Poha. Mix well and keep. This ensures that salt gets mixed evenly in the poha.
4. Now heat oil in a large pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves, ginger, green chillies and peanuts. Roast till peanuts turn slightly brown in colour.
5. Now add potatoes, cabbage and turmeric powder. Keep frying for couple of minutes. Now cover and keep on medium flame. Cook till potatoes turn soft.
Note: Only if needed, you can sprinkle little water for potatoes to cook. I don’t add water at all.
6. Now add the softened Poha and mix well. Cover and keep for 2 mins on low flame.
7. Remove from flame. Drizzle lemon juice and garnish with finely chopped Coriander leaves and freshly grated coconut. Done! Enjoy Kobi Pohe with a hot cup of tea. ❤️
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Notes:
* For a regular version of Poha which is called Kanda Poha in Maharashtra and we Konkanis call Batat Phovu, substitute Cabbage with finely chopped Onions. Rest procedure is the same.
* You can use white or brown Poha but make sure it is Thick Poha and not Thin Poha.
* If you are unsure of whether your family will like this or not, just use 1/2 Cup Cabbage first. Trust me, you just can’t say the difference between this and Kanda Poha. Just be sure to finely chop the Cabbage such that it mixes well with other ingredients.
* I also like to drizzle a spoon of ghee at the end as garnish while making any kind of Poha. It not only ensures that the poha is not dry but gives a wonderful flavour to the poha too. It is completely optional but just sharing the way I do.
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As all of you already know, dosas are our family staple breakfast. So much that any day any time any variety of dosa batter would either be fermenting or ready in the refrigerator (talk about dosa love ❤️). This is one variety that I have been making quite often now and happy that I am able to share it today with all of you.
We have been home bound again since few weeks due to the sudden increase in Covid cases here in Qatar and my daughter’s classes are also online now. Half of my day goes in juggling between managing her classes, entertaining my son and cooking alongside while the rest half goes in playing with them and finishing off my chores. So I hardly get the lavish time that I used to get before to blog.
And whenever I do get some little time in between, I prefer to watch random YouTube videos or listen to my favorite songs and bhajans while walking inside my home or arranging the toys which has become my way to soothe myself. Along with these, the weather has become so beautiful in Qatar with light rains that I just sit looking outside at the trees, the birds and the precious raindrops. It’s a gift from nature that I was waiting for since many years. ❤️
Hope you all are doing well too. Really wishing peace and happiness with good health for all of you. Since this is my first post in 2022, I take this opportunity to wish all of you a very Happy New year too. Stay safe, take care. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️
RECIPE:
Ingredients: {Makes 17 dosas}
1 Cup Urad dal (I use split ones)
1 Cup Matta rice/ Parboiled rice/ Ukde tandulu in Konkani
1 1/2 Cups White rice (any variety)
1/2 Cup thick Poha/ flattened rice
Salt to taste
Oil or Ghee to cook the dosa
Step by step recipe:
1. Wash well and soak Urad dal separately and matta rice- white rice together in two vessels for 4 to 6 hours. (Matta rice needs more soaking time.) Here is the picture to show the rice varieties that I have used.
2. After soaking time, drain the water and add Urad dal in a mixer.
3. Grind to a smooth paste adding little water. Add to a vessel. Now drain and add both the rice along with poha in the mixer.
4. Grind this to a smooth paste. Add it to the Urad dal batter along with salt. Mix well with hands.
5. Keep covered at room temperature for 8 to 10 hours. I keep the batter for about 12 hours now since it is winter as the batter takes more time to ferment. In summers, 8 hours would be enough.
The well fermented batter ❤️
6. Mix the batter well once. Heat a dosa pan and pour a ladle of batter in the center. You can make both thin or thick dosas with this batter but we prefer thick spongy dosas. Add ghee over the dosas once the surface looks cooked.
7. Flip and cook the other side for few seconds too.
8. Remove and serve with a chutney of your choice.
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Notes:
* I usually make a simple ginger chutney with this dosa. Just grind coconut with ginger, green chillies, tamarind, salt and little water to a smooth paste. Season in coconut oil with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
* I use the Palakkadan Matta rice variety which we consume daily for our meals, to make this dosa. It is also called Kerala red rice or Kerala Parboiled rice. In Konkani, we call it Ukde tandulu. You can use any variety of brown rice.
* Note that the soaking time for Matta rice is atleast 6 hours so that it grinds well in the mixer.
* Poha makes this dosa very spongy and soft. I use thick variety, you can use thin ones too.
* This batter stays well if refrigerated for couple of days. Ideal for lunch boxes too as the dosas stay soft for a long time.
* I got inspired to make this dosa from my Surai Ukdle Polo, a dosa commonly made in Konkani households.
* I also make Paniyarams or Appos with Matta rice and mixed dals – Mixed dal Appos.
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Click on the image to save the recipe on Pinterest
I know I have been taking long breaks from blogging and there are many reasons for it, some are personal, some are worth sharing with all of you. The main reason why I can’t blog like before is my son, who needs me all the time, to play with him, to hear his life issues as a 3 year old (😅) and sometimes to just hug him tight, sitting on our sofa, looking outside at the birds. ❤️
But all this will last only for 4 more months as we have got him admission for Kindergarten (KG 1/ LKG) which he will join in April. It’s a bitter sweet moment for me as both the kids will be at school while the home turns empty.. Though I know I will get all the time in the world for myself, I really don’t know what I will do with that time 😂. Will definitely miss the chatter and the fun mornings with my son. ❤️
It’s been many days my husband has been asking me to restart blogging ( he loves this blog much more than me 😅) and I wanted more time to get my mind reset on blogging. Today he said he will play with the momma’s boy and here I am writing this blog.
I learned to make this roasted Poha snack long back when Nandini Bhandarkar Akka posted it on our common food group. We all loved it and it has now become a regular at my place. I absolutely love how quickly it can be made, yet tastes really delicious with simple flavours.
Hope you all try and love this Bhajjil Phovu. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️
Thank you Nandini Bhandarkar Akka for your recipe. ❤️
1. Dry roast the thin variety of Poha in a pan (without oil) on medium flame till it turns crisp. Takes about 5 mins.
2. Now remove it in a mixing bowl. Keep aside.
3. Now heat coconut oil in the same pan. Splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves, finely chopped green chillies, turmeric powder and fry for few seconds.
4. Add the roasted Poha to this seasoning along with salt and sugar. Mix well. Switch off the flame.
5. Remove in a bowl. Garnish with freshly grated coconut. Serve!
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Notes:
* Bhajjil Phovu makes for an excellent evening snack as it is light on the tummy and can be easily made, yet really delicious.
* You can also roast peanuts in the seasoning.
* Please note that this snack is made using thin Poha and not thick Poha. Thick Poha needs soaking before consuming whereas thin Poha does not need it.
* If making for breakfast, you can combine it with Upma or Chane Usli too for a filling breakfast.
* Store this in a tight, moist free container and it lasts well for few days too. You can add freshly grated coconut just before serving.
* This Bhajjil Phovu tastes just like the Phova Chiwda that is made during festivals, the difference being this Phovu is a simpler and easier version of it.
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Traditional recipe + mom’s recipe + unique name + dosa = I have to try it! 😄 This is what ran in my mind the moment my friend Sreeja posted this Kali dosa. It was a dosa which her Amma made regularly for her college lunch box and she loved it as it stayed soft till lunch time unlike other dosas. I too have made this dosa many times now following her recipe and love how soft these dosas come out.
College lunch time reminds me of my lunch sharing with my best friends, Taniya and Sunanda (Tanu and Chu 😍😍). Tanu being brought up in the North used to bring roti-sabzi for lunch whereas Chu being a Malayalee used to bring dishes from the Kerala cuisine. And you can guess what I used to take for lunch box 😅 – Konkani food. So it was a great combination of three cuisines and we used to have a wonderful time sharing our food while chattering our hearts off, giggling at our silly jokes which only we understood. 😅😍❤️
Even though I miss seeing, hugging, talking and laughing with them, I am so grateful to Mr Whatsapp 😁 that we are in contact everyday even after being in three different countries in our small group named “Tanu Chu Ladoo”😍😍😍. Our friendship has been strong since more than 12 years now and I am sure we will be the same forever. ❤️
My Amma shared a quote yesterday saying she felt it apt to describe our friendship and I can’t agree more. Here’s the quote. ❤️
For me, soul connection is most important and these relations are what I treasure the most..❤️
Here’s ending my write-up by thanking Sreeja for her recipe and sharing her mother’s recipe with all of you. Happy and healthy cooking!
Thank you dear Sreeja. Loved the dosa very much. ❤️
RECIPE:
Ingredients: { Makes about 12 dosas }
2 Cups Raw white rice ( I use any regular variety available)
1/2 Cup Urad dal (I use split ones)
1/2 Cup thick or thin Poha (flattened rice/ beaten rice)
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds or Methi
Salt to taste
Ghee or oil to cook the dosa
Step by step recipe:
1. Wash well and soak Urad dal with poha while rice and Methi separately for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Drain water from urad dal- poha bowl. Add water as required, little by little and grind Urad dal with poha and Methi to a smooth paste. Don’t drain water from soaked Methi. It is very healthy and also helps ferment the batter well. Pour the ground paste into a large bowl.
3. Now add drained rice to the mixer and grind to a smooth paste too. Add to the Urad dal batter and add salt. Mix well.
4. Keep covered at room temperature overnight or for about 8 hours.
5. Heat a dosa pan and add a ladle of batter. No need to spread this dosa. Cook on medium flame or else the dosa may turn black due to poha in the batter. Add ghee on top when it cooks on the surface.
6. Flip and cook for few seconds.
7. Remove and repeat the same with the rest of the batter. Serve hot with a chutney or your choice or with sambar or with both like me. 😄😄
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Notes:
* Adding the soaked Methi water in the batter is beneficial to health and also ensures good fermentation of the batter which gives very soft dosas.
* Remember to make these dosas on medium flame and not on high flame as this dosa turns black underneath very quickly due to poha in the batter.
* You can also cook these dosas only on one side like set dosas.
* Check all my dosa varieties in my Dosa Corner page.
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Since childhood, my Amma has always taught me the importance of days dedicated to each God. Not sure how many of you believe in it but sharing the little I have learnt.
* Mondays – To worship Lord Shiva and in our case, our Kuladevata too, Shree Damodar. 🙏
* Tuesdays – For Ganpati Bappa, Devis/ Goddesses and Hanumanji. 🙏
* Wednesdays – Dedicated to Lord Krishna. ❤️🙏
* Thursdays – A day dedicated to Lord Vishnu and our Gurus. Dattatreya Swamy or Guru Raghavendra Swamy or Sai Baba or as believed by each individual in their life. 🙏
* Fridays – To worship Devis/ Goddesses. 🙏
* Saturdays – Dedicated to worship Lord Venkatarama. Also, Shanidev and since worshipping Hanumanji is said to remove the Shani dosha or wrath in one’s life, Hanumanji too is worshipped on this day. 🙏
* Sundays – Dedicated to Sun God. Also, Mahalasa Narayani (Amma’s Kuladevi in her mother’s side); Sunday is dedicated to this devi. 🙏
You might be wondering why all this explanation (free ka gyan 😅) is for. Actually, along with all the days dedicated to each God, there have been foods dedicated to these days too. In almost all Konkani households, black chickpeas is cooked on Fridays as it is believed to be a favorite of Goddess Lakshmi. Hence, considered auspicious to make a ghashi (curry) or this usli with black chickpeas on Fridays. Same is the case with Horsegram which is said to be good to be had on Saturdays saying it gives us strength like Hanumanji.
Some of you may laugh at this, but I believe all of these traditions were made by our ancestors for a reason. When I think about it, this tradition made sure we had the healthy legumes atleast once a week. Else, I would forget to make it as Chickpeas and Horsegram have a long shelf life, easily can be bought and forgotten (if you are like me 😅).
And whenever I make Chane Usli on Fridays, it has to be combined with this delicious Godu Phovu. This is a classic Konkani breakfast/ snack combination, also made as Navaratri prasad.
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Inspite of being from Udupi, I have grown up among our Konkani community in Elamakkara, Kochi where we have a GSB Vikas Parishad group which conducts meetings every month in one of the members’ house to discuss issues faced by our community and also to help those in need. During Navaratri, members would volunteer for bhajans to be conducted in their house and the rest of us would go, sing bhajans together and consume the prasad made by them. The prasad would always be Chane Usli – Godu Phovu in every member’s house and it used to taste so divine and delicious that I still remember the flavours. Every family had their own unique way of making it and that made it even more special. ❤️
Now, whenever I get black chickpeas, I always make it on Fridays, to respect our traditions and not allowing it to diminish away at any cost. Also, since these traditions have health benefits associated with it, it is an added advantage too, right! 😄
Hope you all try this combination too. Very filling and comes out delicious. Also, can be made as a breakfast or evening snack too. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️
1. Soak the black chickpeas in more than double the water for atleast 6 to 8 hours. Drain the water. Add to a pressure cooker. Add fresh water enough to soak the chickpeas. Pressure cook till soft. {Takes a whistle on high and 10 mins on medium flame on my electric stovetop.}
2. Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves, hing and green chillies.
3. Fry till green chillies change colour. Now add the cooked chickpeas. {I add along with the cooked water. If you plan to make saar (check notes), add only the chickpeas and keep the cooked water aside}.
4. Mash lightly with a ladle. Add salt and cook till the mixture turns dry. Mix in coconut and keep aside.
For Godu Phovu:
1. Melt jaggery in water. I use 1/2 Cup jaggery and 1/4 Cup water. It melts and bubbles start forming. Then I remove it from the flame. Sieve and mix in 1/2 Cup coconut.
2. Now add thin Poha, first 1 Cup, mix well. Then if needed add 1/4 Cup at a time till the texture and sweetness is perfect. Do taste tests.
3. When the mixture is even and done, add ghee and cardamom powder. Mix well.
Serve with Chane Usli. I have garnished the Godu Phovu with Tulsi leaves as they do in temples.
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Notes:
* Mixing few Tulsi leaves in the Godu Phovu not only makes it more aromatic, but gives us the benefit of eating Tulsi leaves which are very healthy and also giving us the divine feel of temple prasad.
* Thin Poha does not need soaking. Just mix as it is with melted jaggery. Add little at a time to ensure you don’t over add the poha as it leads to less sweet poha.
* Both these recipes require atleast the amount of freshly grated Coconut I have mentioned. Lesser than that, it does not give the authentic taste. You can add more too if you love coconut.
* Make sure to cook the chickpeas till soft.
* Black chickpeas can be substituted with white chickpeas too.
* The cooked water is usually drained and kept for Chane Saaru (A kind of rasam). Just add salt to the water and bring to a boil. Season coconut oil with mustard seeds, curry leaves and broken red chillies. Pour over the boiled water. Mix well. Serve with rice meals. You can also give fried garlic seasoning instead.
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When I had posted the Ragi Urad idli recipe, I had got many queries about if it can be made as dosas too. Though I do make dosas with that batter, there is a way I make my Ragi dosas which come out as soft as restaurant style set dosas and I thought it was high time I share it too.
If not for my readers who continually keep asking me queries and request for recipes, I will not be inspired to post them. Most of my day passes in household chores while juggling between two kids, one seeking my attention to draw for her ( my daughter 😬) while the other clinging to me like fevicol ( my son 😄). The only thing that keeps my sanity are these daily shlokas, bhajans and songs which I have made as playlists on youtube and keep them in the background whole day. They give me strength in my motherhood battles and otherwise too. Music is really my life. ❤️
So here is the most requested dosa by my readers. They come out very soft and my kids are huge fans of it. My daughter used to call it chocolate dosa as a toddler and even now, in spite of knowing it’s ragi, still calls it the same. 😃 Ragi is a very healthy millet and this is one of the best ways to include it in your diet. Happy and healthy cooking!
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1/2 Cup Poha/ flattened rice (thick or thin, white or brown)
Salt to taste
Ghee or oil to cook the dosa
Step by step recipe:
1. Wash well and soak Urad dal for about 4 hours. Drain water completely. Add about 1 Cup water and 1/2 Cup poha (washed) and grind to a smooth paste. Add to a large preferably steel vessel.
2. Now take ragi flour in another bowl. Add water, 1 cup at a time and whisk well to remove lumps. It takes me 3 Cups water to 3 Cups Ragi flour for it to come to a thick batter.
3. Add this to the Urad dal batter. Add salt and mix well using hands. Cover and keep at room temperature for fermentation for 8 to 12 hours. Might take longer during winters.
Love the fermented batter 😍
4. Heat a dosa pan and pour a ladle of the batter on the center of the pan. No need to spread this dosa. Cover and cook one side first adding ghee or oil.
Sorry for the dull picture. Kitchen lights 😬
5. Flip and cook the other side too. Remove and repeat the same with the rest of the batter too.
Notes:
* You can store the rest of the batter in the refrigerator and use it the next day. The texture of the dosas are soft even the next day.
* You can use thick or thin Poha, brown or white poha, does not make any difference. It gives it the softness in the dosas.
* If due to any reason you can’t eat poha, just skip it and add 1 tsp Methi instead along with Urad dal. Grind it to smooth paste. It will give soft dosas too.
* For making idlis, you can check this Ragi Urad Idli recipe. Comes out very well.
* I served these dosas with Hing Chutney. Just grind 1 Cup Coconut with a pinch of Hing powder, 4 long red chillies, 1 tsp Tamarind paste, salt and water to a smooth paste. You can season the chutney using mustard seeds and curry leaves if needed.
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I have had a weakness for cutlets all my life. 😁 My mother who will be reading this would add, “Not only cutlets but all bakery foods, which is why I had decided to get you married off to a bakery owner. 😅😅”. That brings a wide grin on my face as I realize how true is that! I love bakery snacks a lot but still, cutlets definitely hold a special place in my heart (read : missing native : missing cutlets from Hotel Diana, Udupi). ❤️
Hotel Diana in Udupi is very famous for their cutlets and those must be the first ones I ever tasted too, as a child. I still remember the swirling walkway leading to the restaurant where we used to go, specially after picking Amma, whose office was next door. My order would be Puri bhaji and Cutlets (about 25 years later, my order in any south Indian restaurant is still the same, if they have both in the menu. #puribhajicutletfanforever 😂😂). The cutlets would be so crispy and dipping them with the green chutney- ketchup combo would be a bite into heaven for the little foodie Mitha. 😍
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Amma saw that gleam in my eyes while enjoying the cutlets and after that, whenever she had any party in her office, be it in Udupi or Kochi, all cutlets would come packed safely for me, without her taking even a bite of it. That’s a mother’s love and I used to wonder how she could do it. But now, after being a mother myself, I really understand her. ❤️
My Annama (grandmother) used to make beetroot cutlets as evening snack and I used to sit like a cat next to fish, ardently waiting for the cutlets to come out of the frying pan. 😍 I still have the flavours of her cutlets in my taste buds. ❤️
But even though I am such a huge cutlet lover, it is honestly such a shame that I never attempted to make them at home. Always thought it was too much work. How amazed I was to find these poha cutlets on Instagram reels, made by so many food bloggers. It looked so easy and delicious that I had to try it out.
Truly, it comes out too delicious for words. A must try recipe for sure. By using poha, you can reduce potatoes in the cutlets and it becomes quite filling too. This cutlet is very soft and flavourful on the inside but crispy on the outside.
I am so happy that I have learnt to make a good cutlet. Will definitely be making often for sure. Hope you all try and love it. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️
RECIPE:
Ingredients: { Makes 12 cutlets }
1 Cup thick Poha/ flattened rice/ Aval
1 Cup Mashed potatoes (2 medium sized potatoes)
1/4 Cup grated Carrot
3 Tbsp Green Peas
3 Tbsp Sweetcorn
2 Tbsp Capsicum, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Coriander leaves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp Turmeric or Haldi powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Red chilli powder
Salt to taste
While making cutlets:
2 Tbsp Corn flour
About 1/2 Cup Bread crumbs
Oil as required to shallow fry
Step by step recipe:
1. Get ready all the veggies required for the cutlet. Boil two potatoes, peel skin and mash it. Keep in a bowl. Steam peas and corn. Keep aside. Grate carrots, finely chop capsicum and coriander leaves.
2. Now wash the thick Poha well and soak in water for about 5 mins. Drain water completely and mash the poha with your hands.
3. Now add the mashed potatoes, steamed peas and corn, grated carrots, finely chopped capsicum and coriander leaves along with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and salt to it.
4. Mix well to form a even thick mixture.
5. Now make corn flour slurry by mixing 2 Tbsp corn flour with about 2 to 3 tbsp water. It’s should neither be very thick nor thin. Also keep bread crumbs in another bowl. Take a mixture in your palm and shape into cutlets as shown.
6. Dip in the corn flour slurry and roll in bread crumbs. Keep aside in a plate. Repeat the same with all cutlets.
7. Now heat little oil in a pan. Place each of the cutlets gently and fry on medium flame.
8. Flip to the opposite side and shallow fry till both sides turn golden brown in colour.
6. Serve hot with chutney and ketchup.
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Notes:
* These cutlets taste heavenly with this Coriander leaves Chutney and tomato ketchup combination.
* I use thick Poha for this recipe. If using thin Poha, then no need to soak the poha, just washing and mashing will make it soft.
* 1 Cup mashed poha and 1 Cup mashed potatoes gives it the correct binding. If still you are unable to bind the cutlets due to the potatoes being moist, just add little bread crumbs to the mixture and you will be able to shape the cutlets well.
* Peas, corn and capsicum gives the cutlets a good bite and increases the health quotient too. But if you don’t have any one of these, you can skip.
* You can also add chopped green chillies to the mixture if desired.
* Bread crumbs in the coating makes the cutlets very crispy. So please do use it. I freeze my bread crumbs as it lasts well for many months that way.
* Shallow fry them on medium flame such that the cutlets get the beautiful golden brown colour.
Click on the image to save the recipe on Pinterest
Click on the image to save the recipe on Pinterest.
A new recipe after nearly two months! Both Feb and March were filled with so much uncertainties and many sad days due to losing my loved ones that I did not even feel like trying something new or blogging recipes. If there was something that kept me going without breaking down, it is my love for music. I kept listening to my daily shlokas, bhajans and my favorite songs on youtube all day, which gave me peace of mind. Youtube has become my favorite app now! ❤️
Music really has healing powers and when you don’t feel like talking with anyone, immerse yourself in the world of music and it will definitely bring you peace! ❤️
In devotional music, Guru Raghavendra Swamy’s bhajans and shlokas are my favorite. Whenever I feel nobody can understand me, and also when there are instances in my life which I can’t share with anyone else (not even with my Amma as I don’t want to worry her ❤️), that’s when Guru Raghavendra Swamy comes to my aid. Through his bhajans, I talk to him and he shows me the way. Not all would believe, but I get the answer to my talks within a day. That’s the power of my relation with him and those who believe in him will know how he’s always with us, taking care of us, knowing all the battles that we face in life.
Sharing my favorite picture of Guru Raghavendra Swamy with all of you. The way he is hugging Krishna depicts so much love that I feel very happy just looking at this picture. ❤️
So, I am dedicating this sweet that I learnt recently from Usha Thukaram mai, which we loved a lot, to my Guru Raghavendra Swamy. 🙏 Today is Thursday (Guruvaar) and my Guru’s day. An apt day to post this Sheera as prasad to him. Om Shree Guru Raghavendraya Namaha 🙏
This sweet is very easy to make and a unique twist of adding roasted poha powder instead of semolina, gives it a wonderful flavour. Do try for a change and I am sure you will love it. Happy and healthy cooking!
Thank you Usha Thukaram mai for your recipe. You had once said that you see me as your daughter. Just want to say that I will never forget that and always admire you for your amazing dishes that you post. Love, respects and seeking blessings from you! ❤️🙏
RECIPE: { Serves 2 }
Ingredients:
1 Cup thick or thin Poha / Aval / Flattened rice / Beaten rice
3/4 Cup Jaggery (I used powder)
2 Tbsp Ghee
6 to 8 chopped Cashews
6 to 8 Raisins
2 Cups Water
1 tsp Cardamom powder
Step by step recipe:
1. Heat 1 Tbsp ghee in a pan and roast the poha on medium flame till it turns light brown in colour. Allow it to cool.
2. Add to a mixer and powder it finely.
3. Now heat the rest 1 Tbsp ghee in the pan and fry cashews and raisins in it till cashews turn brown in colour. Add 2 Cups water and bring to a boil.
4. Add the powdered poha along with jaggery powder. (If adding jaggery as blocks, melt jaggery first in the water and then add the poha powder.) Mix continually removing lumps if any.
5. Now cook mixing continually on medium flame till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Takes about 8 mins.
6. Add cardamom powder. Mix well and remove from the flame. Serve hot or cold. Both tastes yummy.
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Notes:
* You can use both thick or thin Poha for this recipe.
* Make sure to not burn the poha while roasting. Remove from flame as soon as it starts turning brown in colour.
* For 1 Cup Poha, 2 Cups water and 3/4 Cup jaggery works well for me. It turns out sweet enough for our taste buds. If you have a extra sweet tooth, you could increase the quantity of jaggery to upto 1 Cup.
* When poha powder is added to the hot water, there is chance of it forming lumps. So mix continually with a spatula removing lumps if any.
* If using jaggery blocks instead of powder, melt it in the water and then add the poha powder.
* Also, if the jaggery you use has impurities in it, make jaggery water separately (3/4 Cup jaggery in 2 Cups water). Sieve and then add the water to the roasted cashews and raisins.
* Don’t skip the cardamom powder as it enhances the flavour so much.
* I found that as the Sheera is kept in room temperature, it increases the taste than when had hot. So I would suggest to make this sweet a bit ahead of time for the poha to absorb the flavours well. The tagline behind this Sheera is ” As time went by, the Sheera kept tasting better and better! 😄”
* Here is yet another Sheera that I make always with Rava/ Semolina: Jaggery Sheera
Healthy cooking with Mitha 