Kosambari is a fresh Raw Salad served as a part of the Traditional Kannada Meal. It is usually made using soaked & drained Mung or Chana Dal with fresh diced cucumbers or grated carrots with a generous dose of fresh coconut.  A meal served on a plantain leaf during weddings/festival or other auspicious occasions will always consist of 2 types of Kosambari, 2 types of Vegetable stir fries along with other yummy goodies. 

Kosambari is also made using Mung Sprouts, Roasted Grounds & even Sweet Corn. This Mung Sprouts Kosambari has just 4 ingredients & is very easy to put together. I make Kosambari quite often for its high protein content. If you are a health freak & want options for a high protein vegetarian meal, this makes a great option. 

How To:

Making Sprouts at home is not such a big deal but it does require a bit of planning. But it certainly is better than picking up a packet of sprouts off the shelf in the supermarket. If you look at it, store bought sprouts are quite expensive also why buy when making it at home is so easy peasy :)

I do admit that I have picked up sprouts from stores more often than not, but off late I have been making them at home. Of all the legumes, Mung Beans takes the least time to sprout & can be eaten raw, while others like Chickpeas or black eyed peas sprouts do require steaming

 

Clean about half a cup of Mung Beans in several changes of water. Soak the Beans in plenty of water. Once the beans are soaked, they double in size so make sure you use plenty of water. Set aside for about 7-8 hours or overnight. Drain all the water & transfer the beans into a vessel. I use a perforated steel container that looks like a colander. Close the lid & set aside in a corner of your kitchen or in a nice warm place & keep it undisturbed for about 15-18 hrs or until the beans have fully sprouted. You can also use a colander or tie the beans in a  muslin cloth to make sprouts 

It takes anything between 15 to 20 hours to sprout fully, depending on the weather. It takes lesser time during the warmer months & during winter, it may even take 24 hours 

To to make sprouting a wee bit faster during winter, heat the oven for a couple of minutes until its slightly warm. turn it off & place the container in the oven. Make sure you don't turn on the oven by mistake :)
Once the sprouting is done, store them in an airtight container in the fridge.  Follow a similar method to sprout other beans too but it may take longer to sprout 


I make sprouts once a week & store it in an airtight container & use as an when required. I use them in Salads, stir fries, soups & I simply eat a handful when I feel hungry. 

I have very low tolerance for heat & thankfully this summer has not been very hot here. The rains have been making an appearance every now & then much to our delight. The last couple of days have been very warm here. The sun is at its peak in the afternoons & even a small trip to the grocery store has been a sweaty affair

During Summer, I usually make a large batch of Spiced Buttermilk & chill it in the fridge. It is usually my post lunch & post dinner drink. Or when guests drop by, they are more than happy when a glass of chill buttermilk is offered

How To:

In a large vessel, add 1 part water & 1 part yogurt. Mix well with a whisk & set aside. You can also blend it in a blender for about 30 seconds.

In a mortar & pestle, coarsely grind the green chilies, curry leaves, ginger & cumin. Add it to buttermilk along with some salt & a bit of asafoetida, Let it rest for about 10 minutes or longer. Strain & pour into glasses.

Before serving, sprinkle a pinch of chaat & garish with fresh chopped coriander

You can also grind the Masala into a paste instead of pounding it in a mortar & pestle but I prefer the previous method & the ground paste changes the  buttermilk into a greenish hue & I prefer White looking buttermilk :)  So much better than reaching out for a bottle of Cola .. Try it !!

When I am in an indulgent mood, I add a bit of coconut milk to add richness to the dish along with some bell peppers for that extra bite. When there is leftover rice, it is usually converted into a quick Tawa Tomato Pulao. This Pressure cooker method is the quickest in my opinion. Dump everything in the cooker & Tada its done !! No wonder it makes a great lunchbox option & a quick saviour when guests arrive or when you have bare minimum veggies in the fridge 

 

You Will Need:

How To:

Clean Basmati Rice in several changes of water. Drain & set aside for 15 minutes. Roughly chop tomatoes & blend them into a puree

In a pressure cooker, Heat Ghee & Oil. Once its hot enough, splutter cumin, saunf & coriander seeds. Add Bay leaf, green chilies & ginger garlic paste. saute for about 20 seconds. Add in the onions & cook till it is slightly pink. 

Now add the tomato puree, Red chilli powder, Garam Masala, kitchen king masala & turmeric powder. Give it a good mix. Add green peas & 1 1/4 cups of water. check for salt & give it a good stir. when it comes to a boil, Close the lid & allow it to pressure cook for 1 whistle

Once the pressure releases, allow it to cool down a bit, Fluff with a fork & transfer into a serving bowl. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander. Serve warm with a raita of your choice. 

NOTE:

If you plan to use store bought tomato puree, you will onlu need about 100 ml of puree as store bought purees are very thick & tart. 

You can also add 1/4th cup of thick coconut milk for a rich tasting Tomato Rice 

Ragi also known as Nachni or Finger Millet is one of the most staple & common grains in Karnataka  It is a nutrition powerhouse. Besides being Gluten Free, it is a very rich source of calcium.

Now that half the world is going crazy over Millets, This humble grain is back in spotlight. One of the most common ways of consuming Ragi is in the form of  a cooked dumpling called Ragi Mudde and is eaten with a lentil based gravy


Another favorite way of consuming Ragi is a buttermilk based drink called Ambli. It has a thin porridge like consistency & is flavored using a hint of green chilli (opional ) and onion. It makes a very filling drink & can be had for breakfast if you are short on time & yes, It is very Healthy

Mix 1 tbsp of Ragi Flour in about 1/4 cup of water. Whisk well to form a smooth paste without any lumps. Roughly chop the onion & blend it into a paste & add it to the ragi flour mixture In a saucepan, cook this paste on low flame for about 2 mins till it gets cooked. keep stirring at regular intervals.

Once done, turn of the heat & allow it to cool. In a blender, blend together the cooked Ragi mixture & Buttermilk together along with some salt.

In a small pan, heat Ghee, splutter mustard & cumin seeds along with curry leaves. Add it to the drink Pour the drink into tall glasses and Garnish with finely chopped coriander




You can also add half a green chili while grinding the onion but I usually give it a skip. 1 glass of this in the morning, I am good to go. You can also have this as a post workout drink. I even have this for dinner sometimes when I feel too lazy to cook a meal for myself

There is also a sweeter version of this usually made with milk which I will be posting in sometime. Meanwhile, enjoy this one !!

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.

Soak Chickpeas overnight or for 5-6 hours, Pressure cook with a bit of salt. Drain & set aside for use. Finely chop the onions & Tomatoes & set aside.

For the dressing, In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients mentioned in the list & set aside. I used store bought Tamarind & dates chutney.

To assemble the salad, In a large wide bowl, add Chickpeas, chopped onions & tomatoes & the dressing & mix well. Add chopped coriander & mint & check for salt. Allow the salad to sit atleast for 20 mins before serving, Sprinkle a generous amount of Sev before serving

If you are a health freak, This salad makes a great lunch box option. It also works as a healthy starter for parties. You could also add crushed Papdi ( Deep Fried Indian Crackers made with All Purpose Flour ) for a bit of crunch. 

The weather in Bangalore is again back to its gorgeous self. After a couple of weeks of intense heat, it has been raining since a couple of days much to our relief. Though the Sun will be back with full force in a couple of days, we Bangaloreans are making the most of this lovely weather while it lasts

Last evening we enjoyed some nice & crisp Onion Pakodas while watching the rains along with the customary Masala Chai. This evening I made a big bowl of warm Sabut Masoor Ki Dal to be had along with steamed Rice. This is a regular no fancy dish but the creaminess of Masoor Dal lends it a nice buttey taste

 

You Will Need:

How To:

As a Kid, I disliked Bitter Gourd while the rest of the family loved it. But somewhere along the line, I grew quite fond of it & I don't even remember since when did I start eating it, We kannadigas mostly make Gojju out of it & I recently learnt how to make a mean Bitter Gourd Sambhar from one of my Aunts :) Believe me, It is quite tasty 

I came across these Microwave Crisped Bitter Gourd Rings from a random website & I tried them almost immediately & they turned out very delicious. They make for a great Tea Time snack or munch a few along with yiur mid morning dose of Green Tea, Much better than those cookies I tell you

How To:

Wash the Bitter gourd & pat dry. With the help of a knife, slice the bitter gourd into thin rounds, The thinner the discs, the crispier it will be.

In a  bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp cooking oil along with red chilli powder, salt, turmeric. Add the bitter gourd discs & mix well so that the discs get coated with the spice mixture

Grease a large Microwaveable Glass Tray, arrange the discs next to one another, Do not stack the discs or overlap them. Place in the microwave for about 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, take out the tray & give it a shake so that the discs do not stick to the tray, Microwave for another 2 minutes

After 2 minutes, flip the discs & add another tbsp of oil & microwave for another 2 mins, Continue doing this until the bitter gourd discs have crisped well. 

It takes about 10-12 minutes for them to crisp up, depending on your microwave.

Once done, allow them to cool & serve it as a snack of as a side along with Dal & Rice. Enjoi !!!

So, there's the World Famous Haldi Wala Doodh a,k.a Spiced Turmeric Milk for such days. Turmeric is known for its medicinal properties & is widely used in everyday Indian cooking. And, this Spiced Turmeric Milk does bring some relief to sore thoats & runny noses. It's tried & tested :)

How To:

In a sauce pan, Pour milk, Add all the ingredients mentioned one by one except saffron, Allow the milk to boil. Turn off the stove

Strain out the cinnamon stick & ginger. Add saffron & mix well. Pour into a glass & serve Hot