Mandakki Oggarane or Mandaalu Oggarane or Susla  is a very popular dish in the North Karnataka region. For the uninitiated, Mandakki is Puffed Rice, Murmura & is also called Kadle Puri in Kannada. So, Mandakki Oggarane is Sesaoned Puffed Rice for you. You also call it Puffed Rice Upma

Thanks to my dad's transferable job, we got to live in different cities & the coolest part of it was the different regional cuisines that my mom learnt in each of these cities.

This dish evokes memories of the years we spent in Hospet, a small town in North Karnataka, which is very close to the now famous ruins Hampi

When we were newbies in Hospet, my mum  was surprised to see the locals buy copious amounts of Kadle Puri every week & she wondered what they did with so much puffed rice. And one day, the lady who would go door to door selling puffed rice told her about Mandakki Oggarane. Then followed a detailed recipe from my neighbour & it quickly became my favourite after school snack

In North Karnataka, this is often served with Mirchi Bajji on the side, popular known as Mirchi Mandakki

• 8-10 cups or 400 grams Bangalore Puri * (The Thicker variety Puri)
• 1 big or 2 Small Onions - sliced
• 3 Green Chilies 
• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Urad Dal
• 1 tsp Chana Dal
• A big pinch of Turmeric powder
• A sprig of Curry Leaves
• Salt as per taste
• 2 tsp cooking Oil
• Fresh Coriander for garnish

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil & splutter mustard seeds. Add Urad Dal, Chana Dal & fry on low flame for about 30 seconds until they slightly change colour. Add curry leaves, green chillies & turmeric & give it a mix

Add sliced onions & a pinch of salt & sauté until the onions turn pink. Add washed & drained Puffed rice & salt to taste. 

Tuen off the heat & chopped coriander & serve hot.

You can always reheat it in the microwave

* Puffed rice always shrinks when added to water so you will need to use a large quantity of puffed rice.

Bangalore Puri is the thicker variety puffed Rice. The thinner variety puri is known as Mysore Puri which is used to make Bhel Puri. In the US, I buy Bansi Brand Murmura

Don't have a weird look on your face as soon as you read this. I promise, this taste just awesome. I have always loved adding a little bit of Indian flavours to other cuisines. When the Brits can invent Curry Powder then Why can't we make Puliyogare Pasta 

I happened to come across this recipe on an Online Foodie Group & the picture looked really good. I made a mental note to try it out & it did turn out very well.

• 1 cup cooked Pasta - I used Macaroni
• 1 1/2 tsp Puliyogare Powder 
• 2 tsp edible Sesame Oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp split peanuts
• 1 tbsp Roasted & Coarsely Crushed Peanuts
• A sprig of curry leaves

Cook Pasta according to package instructions. Drain & set aside. In a small Pan, Heat Sesame Oil. Splutter Mustard seeds. Add curry leaves & Peanuts. Fry until the peanuts are crunchy. It should take a couple of minutes.

Add Pasta & immediately add Puliyogare Powder & gently give it a mix. You can use any Home made or Store Bought Puliyogare Powder. There are many good brands available off the shelf. I mostly use MTR. Add the Roasted & crushed Peanuts. Let it stand on low heat for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat & transfer to a bowl & Serve Warm

NOTE:

You can drizzle some more sesame oil before serving.

The flavour of Puliyogare Powder is quite strong. Use only a little amount at first. You can add more later if needed

I dislike Chilli Cheese Toast served in most restaurants or Cafes.  Either the bread is too chewy, or there is too much Cheese or too little toppings. 
And there are several cafes, where the toast is made beforehand & they just reheat the toast in the Microwave before serving. 

There is nothing better than a freshly made Chilli Cheese Toast just out of the oven, Right??  So, the best bet is to make your own Toast, the way you like it 

I do not like an overdose of Cheese in my dishes. Be it Pizza, Nachos or this Chilli Cheese Toast. I add loads of toppings & like the taste of the toppings shine through rather than the taste of cheese.

I've tried making this on the Stove Top too. I very lightly toasted the bread & assembled the topping & on very low flame I toasted the bread without flipping. But I felt the cheese took forever to melt &  even though the flame was very low, the base of the toast was over crisp. So I prefer the Microwave or the Oven method any day. 

If anybody knows a foolproof method of making this toast on the stove top, do let me know 

Who doesn't love Popcorn? As kids, movie outings meant a huge bucket of butter popcorn as flavored ones were not such a big thing back then. Though, I am a huge fan of the good old plain butter popcorn, I have also begun to love the flavored ones

I love making flavored popcorn at home. There are so many variations one could try. They are such a hit with kids & adults alike.

I recently tried this Indian Flavored popcorn for a get together & it was such a big hit ,, Guess what the flavor was?? I used Pav Bhaji Masala & it was just amazing 

In a Heavy bottomed Pan or a Pressure cooker, Add 2 tbsp cooking oil. Once hot, Add the corn kernels & cover with a lid.When the corn starts popping, give the pan a shake and continue to cook until all the kernels have popped. Once you don't hear the popping sound anymore, remove from the heat & pour popcorn into a large bowl

In the same pan, heat Butter. Splutter nigella seeds & add curry leaves. On very low flame, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder & pav bhaji masala. Give it a gentle stir & cook for about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat. Add the popcorn & some salt & toss well until the popcorn is coated well with the spice mixture.

Pour spiced popcorn into a huge bowl & enjoy with your family/friends

The variations you can make with this is just endless. If you are keen on using Indian flavours, keep it subtle & do not use too many spices at once.