Bangalore Style Vegetable Pulav | Instant Pot & Pressure Cooker Method

In Kannada, Pulao is known as Palav & this is one dish that transports me right back to my childhood. Whenever this was made at home, I used to eat this for lunch, dinner & also keep some aside to be eaten the next day.

Also, I would make my Mum make this on my Birthday each year almost until I got married & moved out of home :)

WHAT KIND OF RICE TO USE?

Traditionally Bangalore Style Pulao was made using Sona Masuri, a variety a raw rice widely consumed in Karnataka & Andhra regions. This was because, Basmati was not very popular in the south years ago & it was fairly expensive. We used to buy a small pack of Basmati Rice & use it sparingly

So, it can be made either with Sona Masuri or Basmati, I personally prefer using Basmati

You Will Need:

1 cup Basmati Rice OR Sona Masuri Rice
1 large Onion - sliced lengthwise
1 Potato - Diced
1 Carrot- diced
1/4 cup Green Peas - Fresh/Frozen
1 tablespoon Ghee
1 tablespoon cooking oil
3-4 Bay Leaves
Juice of Half a lime
Salt as per taste
A handful of Cashewnuts

To Grind:

3 tbsp grated coconut - fresh

A handful of Coriander Leaves leaves

A small Sprig of Mint Leaves

1 1/2 tsp Poppy seeds(Khus Khus)

2-3 green Cardamoms

3-4 Cloves

2 inch Cinnamon Stick

1 Star Anise

4 Garlic pods - optional

A small knob of ginger

8 green chillies

INSTANT POT METHOD:

(PRESSURE COOK ON HIGH FOR 4 MINUTES, NPR FOR 4 MINUTES & RELEASE PRESSURE AFTER 4 MINUTES)

Clean Basmati Rice in several changes of water, Drain & set aside

Using a mixer/blender, Grind all the ingredients mentioned in the list adding very little water, into a smooth paste

Turn on the Sauté mode in the Instant Pot. Select the Normal Mode
Add Ghee & Cooking oil into it, once its hot enough, add cumin seeds & bay leaves & sauté for 20 seconds.

Meanwhile, To speeden the cooking process, I keep 1.5 cups of water to boil on the stovetop

Add onions & sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables & add some salt. Mix well

Add the ground paste , give it a good mix & let it cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add Rice & gently mix. Now, carefully add the water that was kept boiling. Add salt, & give it a mix.

Now, Press the cancel button to cancel the sauté mode. Close the lid & close the vent to sealing position (I have the model in which the vent automatically seals itself when closed)

Choose the Pressure Cook mode & Pressure cook on High for 4 minutes

When the instant pot beeps, Do an NPR for 4 minutes & then manually release the pressure.

Meanwhile, in a teaspoon of ghee toast cashew nuts. Add the toasted cashew nuts, also add lime juice if you wish to. I usually do not add lime juice

Gently fluff with a fork & serve with Raita or Yogurt on the side

PRESSURE COOKER METHOD

Clean Basmati Rice in several changes of water, Drain & set aside

Using a mixer/blender, Grind all the ingredients mentioned in the list adding very little water, into a smooth paste

Add Ghee & Cooking oil into a Pressure Cooker Pot, once its hot enough, add cumin seeds & bay leaves & sauté for 20 seconds.

Meanwhile, To speeden the cooking process, I keep 1.5 cups of water to boil on the stovetop

Add onions & sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables & add some salt. Mix well

Add the ground paste , give it a good mix & let it cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add Rice & gently mix. Now, carefully add the water that was kept boiling. Add salt, & give it a mix.

Close the Cooker Lid & let it cook for 1 whistle. Set aside for the Pressure to release naturally.

Meanwhile, in a teaspoon of ghee toast cashew nuts. Add the toasted cashew nuts, also add lime juice if you wish to. I usually do not add lime juice

Gently fluff with a fork & serve with Raita or Yogurt on the side

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, by Deepthi Shankar

Breakfast Dishes

Fluffy Idlis Using Idli Rava | How to Make Great Idlis Using a Mixer

When I posted the recipe for Brahmin's Cafe Chutney, I got a lot of requests to share my Idli Recipe. So, I thought I needed to do a detailed post on how to make Karnataka Style Idlis

I don't have a grinder at home, I use my Preethi Eco Plus Mixer to grind my Idli & Dosa Batter. And I must say that it turns out very good even though its ground in a Mixie. So, the point is that you don't necessarily need a grinder to make great Idlis. You can make great Idlis using a Mixie too

Before we proceed to make Idlis, Let's get some basics right

How are Karnataka Style Idlis Different?

Common amongst most Kannada households & Darshinis across Karnataka, These Idlis are crumbly in texture & made using Idli Rava.

The batter is slightly coarse in texture.

Methi Seeds are NOT added in the Batter.

Since the batter is slightly coarse in texture, It cannot be used to make Dosas

What is Idli Rava?

Idli Rava or Rice Rava also known as Idli Tari in Kannada, is coarsely ground Par Boiled Rice. The coarsely ground texture resembles Rava. Hence, the name Idli Rava.

Can I substitute Gota Urad dal with Split Urad Dal?

Yes you can substitute one for another but from my experience, Gota Urad Dal yields fluffier Idlis.

Why is Sabudana added?

Adding Sabudana is completely optional. But it helps in making the Idlis softer, especially if you are using a Mixie to grind the batter.

You can skip it entirely, if you are going to grind the batter in a Grinder

Ingredients:

Makes 30-34 Idlis

3 parts Idli Rava/Idli Tari (300 Grams)
1 part Whole Urad Dal (110 Grams)
1 part Thick Poha (60 Grams)
2 tablespoon Sabudana
Salt
Water to Soak & Grind

Method:

In a wide bowl, measure out 3 parts of Idli Rava & soak it in water cover just 1 inch above the surface

In another wide bowl, measure out Urad Dal, Poha & Sabudana & clean in several changes of water until it runs clear of starch. Soak in plenty of water

Soak them for a minimum of 6 hours. I usually soak for 8 hours or overnight. Set Aside

In a mixer/grinder, Add small batches of the Urad Dal/Poha/Sabudana mixture.Add little water & grind to a smooth paste.

Squeeze out all the water from the Idli Rava, handfuls at a time & add it to this ground paste & mix well with you hands.

You may want a grainy Idli texture, but still the Idli Rava should be well incorporated with the Urad Dal mixture, so you need to grind this mixture again.

Take small batches of this mixture into your mixer/grinder & grind them into a slightly coarse paste. You should not grind it too much & make it into a smooth paste. Pour it into a container, large enough to accommodate the fermented batter without spilling.

When you are done with all the grinding, Add salt & Mix well with your hands for a minute.

This step is important as the heat from our hands is said to aid the fermentation.

Set it aside in a warm place in your kitchen to ferment for at least 8-12 hours

By the end of 8-12 hours, the batter would have risen quite well.

To Make Idlis

Gently mix the fermented batter with a ladle. Do Not do this rigorously. Check for salt & add more if needed

Grease the Idli plates

Pour the idli batter into the idli plates. Fill the Idli Pot with 1/4 cup of water. Place the idli plates inside the steamer &steam for 8 minutes.

After 8 minutes, turn off the stove. Let it rest for 4-5 minutes. Unmould with the help of a spoon.

Serve Hot Hot Idlies with Chutney/Sambhar/Chutney Pudi

NOTES & OTHER MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

How to Ferment in Colder Months?

You can ferment that batter in the Instant Pot. Turn the 'Low' Yogurt mode On & let it ferment overnight

Preheat the Oven to 350 F. Turn off the oven & place the container inside the oven with lights On

I just place the container on the kitchen counter, close to the stovetop. The surrounding usually stays warm due to the heat from all the cooking done on the stovetop. This works for me, even during winters.

A Sample Schedule for Colder Months

I live in a place that is pretty cold for almost 8 months in a year. So, the batter needs longer periods of fermentation. I have written 2 sample schedules that I use in colder months so that you can get an idea of how long to soak & when to grind

Soak the ingredients at 8 AM. Grind at 3 PM & the batter will be ready by next morning

Soak at night before going to bed around 11 PM. Grind the batter between 7 AM - 9 AM & your batter will be ready be late evening, if you want to have them for dinner

Tips for Grinding in a Mixie

Unlike Grinder, A mixie heats up the batter a little & sometimes this hampers fermentation. You can do 2 things to counter the heating up of the batter
Use Cold water from the fridge to grind the batter

You can keep the soaked ingredients in the fridge for a hour or two before you start grinding.

This trick works like a charm, believe me

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, by Deepthi Shankar

Bangalore Special

'Brahmin's Cafe' Inspired Chutney

Brahmin's Coffee Bar also referred to as Brahmin's Cafe is one of the most iconic eateries in South Bangalore. If you have been living in Bangalore for a while & you have not visited this place, you need to change that soon

Situated in the bylanes of Shankarpuram, This hole in the wall Cafe has only 5 items on their menu, Idli, Vade, Khara Bath, Kesari Bath & Filter Coffee

Idli, Vade & Khara Bhat are served with a generous helping of their Famous Chutney

Their Pillowy Soft Idlis bathed in generous amount of Chutney is a must have

Yes, their Chutney is what makes Brahmin's Cafe unique. Their coconut chutney is made with equal parts of Coconut & Hurigadle & is of pouring consistency. You can almost drink it. The best part is, you can get unlimited refills of the chutney at no extra cost :)

How can one miss the elderly man sitting at the entrance of the restaurant with a huge pot of chutney & a big ladle. Almost everyone gets a generous second or third helping

I tried to recreate this Chutney at home & I must say this was really good. If I am making chutney to be eaten with Idlis, I always like it to be of pouring consistency. The Chutney soaks up the Idlis really well

I Do Not claim this to be the Original Recipe that Brahmin's Coffee Bar makes, this is just my humble attempt to recreate it at home

You Will Need

1 cup Grated Coconut
1 cup Roasted Chana Dal/Hurigadale
5 Green Chilies
A small knob of Ginger
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
2 inch ball of Tamarind
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 teaspoon Sugar (Optional)
A big handful of Coriander along with stems
Salt as per taste

For the Tempering

A sprig of Curry Leaves
1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
2 teaspoon Urad Dal
2 fat pinches of Hing
1 tablespoon Oil

How To

In a mixer blender, add grated coconut, Roasted Chana Dal, Green Chilies, Ginger, Cumin seeds, tamarind, Turmeric powder, Sugar & salt. Add half a cup of water little at a time & blend into a smooth paste

Finely chop coriander leaves & the stems & add it into the mixer & give it a couple of whizzes until the coriander leaves almost blend into the chutney & there are tiny green speckles floating

Add Half a cup of water or more to make the chutney into a pouring consistency. Check for salt.

Heat cooking oil. Temper with mustard seeds, Hing, Curry Leaves & Urad Dal.

Add the Tadka into the chutney & mix well

NOTE:

I did not add Sugar

The water measure is approximate. Make your chutney a little on the spicier side so that when you dilute it with water, it still remains spicy. That's the reason I have used 5 Green Chilies here

It is important that you add equal parts of Coconut & Roasted Chana Dal to get the right flavor

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, by Deepthi Shankar

Chutney

Peanut Chutney - With Coconut

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, by Deepthi Shankar

Baking

Iyengar Bakery Aloo Bun /Palya Bun

Iyengar Bakery delicacies have always had a special place for Bangaloreans & especially the 90s Kids. Much before McDonalds & other Burger joints made their way to Bangalore, We had Iyengar Bakeries.

A quick stop at the neighborhood bakery for Veg Puffs, Aloo Bun, Honey Cake was something we looked forward to. And also, the softest Milk Bread ever.

These humble bakeries are still holding their fort amidst the culinary shift that has happened in the city in the past decade. This somehow makes me a very happy Bangalorean as Iyengar Bakeries are very symbolic of the good old 'Namma Bengaluru'

If I have to pick 2 favorites from the Iyengar Bakery Menu, It is their Plain Vanilla Sponge Cake & Aloo/Palya Bun

Palya Bun is a perfect pick me up for those 4 PM hunger pangs. The Potato stuffing makes it pretty filling just enough to hold off until dinner time

Makes 8 Slightly Big or 10 Medium Sized Buns

You Will Need

400 grams All Purpose Flour or Bread Flour
2 teaspoon Instant Yeast (No Proofing Needed)
1 cup Milk
1 tablespoon Milk Powder
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 tablespoon Softened Butter
1/2 teaspoon Salt

In a wide bowl, Add All Purpose Flour/Bread Flour, Salt, Sugar, Milk Powder, Instant Yeast & mix well with yours hands. Add Milk little by little & make a sticky dough

You Will be tempted to add a bit of flour but do not. Continue kneading with your hands for 15 minutes. If using a stand mixer, knead for 6-8 minutes

Half way in between, add softened butter & continue kneading.

The dough would have turned very soft & smooth after all the kneading. Coat it with a little bit of oil & place in a bowl & wrap with cling film & set aside for 1 hour to double in size

I placed the dough in the Instant Pot & set the Low Yogurt mode for 1 hour to enable fast proofing

By the end of 1 hour, the dough would have doubled in size. Knead again for 10-12 minutes to knock off all the air. The dough is now ready to be filled with the Potato Filling.

While the Dough is resting for an hour, proceed to make the Potato Stuffing

To Make the Potato Stuffing

You Will Need:

4 large Potatoes (I used Gold Potatoes)
2 medium sized Onions - sliced lengthwise
5 Green Chilies
Half teaspoon Mustard seeds
A big pinch of Hing
1 teaspoon Urad Dal
1 teaspoon Chana Dal
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
A sprig of Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Salt as per taste

How To:

Clean & scrub the Potatoes. Cut into halves & Pressure cook with a little bit of salt for 1 whistle. Let the pressure settle down.

Drain the water & once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel the skin & roughly mash them into chunks.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat cooking oil. Splutter mustard seeds. Add Hing, Urad Dal, Chana Dal, Green Chilies & Curry Leaves. Sauté on low flame for 30 seconds until the Urad & Chana Dal are golden in color

Add sliced onions & turmeric & fry until the onions turn pink, Add the mashed potatoes & salt & mix well

Turn off the heat & add chopped coriander. Set aside & allow it to cool

The Stuffing is now ready

Now, begin assembling the buns for the second rise.

To Assemble the Buns before baking

Divide the dough into 8 or 10 equal portions. Divide the Palya/Potato Stuffing into 8 or 10 equal portions as well

Flatten each dough into a disc with a rolling pin. Place the potato mixture in the center & close the dough on all the sides

slightly flatten them with your palms & place on the baking tray.

Repeat the procedure for each of the discs. & arrange them on a baking tray with enough space in between them

Cover with a cling film or a damp kitchen towel & set aside for 1 hour for them to rise again

Baking the Buns

Preheat the Oven to 200 C or 395 F for 5 minutes

Remove the cling wrap/kitchen towel. Brush each of the buns with milk & place it in the oven & bake for 18-20 minutes

Pro Tip For Turing them into the Softest Buns

Once the Buns are out of them oven, brush them generously with butter & wrap them with a damp kitchen towel & allow it to cool on the wire rack or a tray for 1 hour. The buns turn super soft. I slightly warm them in the microwave for 15 seconds before serving

When the buns came out of they oven, they were a bit crusty & I was honestly quite disappointed. Then I remembered a chef using this technique of wrapping dinner rolls in a damp towel to make them soft

I checked them 20 minutes after wrapping them in a damp towel & it had become quite soft. By the end of 1 hour, after the buns had cooled down completely, they were super soft just like the bakery ones.

So, I highly recommend trying this hack.

I saved a couple of buns to be eaten the next day. I put them in an airtight box & refrigerated them. I Microwaved them for 1 minute the following day & they were as good as new. So, I guess they stay well for a day when refregerated. Beyond that, the Potato Stuffing would not taste as fresh

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, by Deepthi Shankar

Appetizers

Cabbage Pakoda

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, by Deepthi Shankar

Baking

Homemade Cheese Pizza

I not into baking a lot of cakes & cookies but I love savory bakes. I have since long wanted learn to bake a good Pizza at home. My dad loves baking as well especially it it has anything to do with yeast :)

So we finally tried our hands on the basic Cheese Pizza. It is always nice to bake with someone who is as enthusiastic as you in the kitchen

After baking Pizza for 3 consecutive days and experimenting with 2 different kind of doughs , I can finally say that I am eligible to write this post.

Since this was my first time making Pizza from scratch, I wanted to perfect the basic Cheese Pizza. We all love Cheese Pizza don't we? I like mine with lot of Olives & red chilli flakes sprinkled on the top

WHAT KIND OF YEAST DID I USE?

Eversince the Lockdown has happened, there has been a sudden demand for yeast & I was not able to find yeast in any of the stores.

I was finally able to get some Fresh Yeast (The one that comes in cubes & has to be refrigerated) & honestly I was quite skeptical about it but the pizza turned out rather well

So you can use any kind of yeast

Fresh Yeast

Active Dry Yeast or

Instant Yeast

Make sure you get the conversions right & use only the right amount of whichever you were using

------------------------------
MAKING THE PIZZA DOUGH

------------------------------

Makes 4 Medium Crust Pizzas of 11 inches each

You Will Need:

600 grams All Purpose Flour
25 grams Fresh Yeast Or 8 Grams of Active Dry Yeast ( I used Fresh Yeast )
400 ml water
3 teaspoon Salt
Half teaspoon Sugar
6 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

HOW TO:

In a sauce pan, heat Water until its lukewarm. To this, add Yeast, Salt, Sugar & Oil. Cover & set aside for the yeast to activate for 15 minute

When the mixture turns frothy, it means that the yeast is active. Now In a wide bowl, add the flour & mix in the yeast mixture & knead well slowly incorporating all the flour

The flour will turn slightly sticky so add some more flour as you knead but not too much

When the dough turns fairly smooth, continental kneading for 20-25 minutes by hand. You can put your food processor to use if you have one. If using a machine, knead for 8 minutes.

Make 4 medium balls of dough, Coat the dough with EVOO & place it in a bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel & let it proof for 2 hours.

I used the Yogurt Mode in the Instant Pot for one hour to proof the dough

After the allotted time, the dough would have doubled in size.

Place each ball in individual containers or ziplock bags with enough room for it to rise again.

Refrigerate for a minumum for 3-4 hours or for a maximum of 3 days. Ideal would be to refrigerate for 24 hours

Pull out the dough at least an hour before you plan to bake the Pizza

-------------------------

BAKING PIZZAS

---------------------------

MEDIUM CRUST

When you are ready to make Pizzas, you will need to pull out the dough out of the refrigerator One hour in advance so that it reaches room temperature

You Will Need:

Pizza Dough
Pizza Sauce (I used Store Bought)
Mozzarella Cheese
Basil leaves
Salt
Garlic powder
Dried Oregano
Black Olives
Olive Oil
Dry Chilli Flakes (Optional)

HOW TO:

Preheat the Oven to 500F or 260 C for 30 minutes

Take the dough out of the container, lightly flour the working station, begin stretching the dough with your hands.

If you feel that the dough shrinks back when stretched, allow it to rest on the counter for another 15 minutes. Keep the dough covered with a damp cloth

Alternately, you can even roll the dough using a rolling pin.

Sprinkle a little flour on the kitchen counter & Roll or uniformly stretch into a circle of 11 inch diameter.

Transfer the stretched/rolled dough onto a parchment paper & brush it lightly with olive oil

Using a pizza cutter, lightly cut the pizza into triangular slices

Apply pizza Sauce, Garlic, powder, dried oregano Add Mozzarella Cheese generously, sprinkle some salt & top with sliced olives.

Put the parchment paper onto a cast Iron Pan. I used my trusted Lodge Cast Iron Pan.

Bake at 500 F for 8-9 minutes (Oven Temperatures will vary)

8 Minutes is ideal. The crust is cooked well. I baked a couple of pizzas for 9 minutes, the cheese was more brown at the top & the crust was a tad crunchier

After 8 minutes, Take out the pizza from the oven & transfer it onto a wide plate & gently cut the slices using a pizza cutter

Sprinkle with chilli flakes & garnish with fresh basil & serve hot

NOTES:

Oven temperatures will vary so keep eye on the Pizza while its baking

It is very important that the oven be hot. So, Preheating for 30 minutes is a must

Always slightly cut the pizza dough into slices before you add the sauce & toppings as its easier to slice them later on

Always always always refrigerate the pizza dough. The 1st day we baked the pizza about a couple of hours after the dough was proofed. And we made some more pizza with dough that was refrigerated for 24 hours. The 2nd batch turned out better in texture

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, by Deepthi Shankar

After School Snacks

Instant Oats Paddu

A quick Paddu Recipe to the rescue when you don't know what to cook for breakfast. Also makes for a great after school snack or weeknight dinner

Last year, We had bought a jumbo sized pack of Instant Oats from Costco & since we add only a tablespoon of oats into our smoothies, it was hardly getting used up. My Mum was visiting us & she started experimenting a lot of Indian recipes using Oats.

She makes this really delicious Veggie loaded Oats Upma ( A recipe that I plan to share soon ) & then this Paddu also happened.

The texture of this paddu is softer than the ones made using Dosa batter but is nonetheless tasty.

Its an easy instant recipe when you'd like something quick & nutritious & especially if you want to use up your packet of Oats :)

You Will Need:

1 cup Quick Cooking Oats
Half Cup Fine Rava/Chiroti Rava
1 tablespoon Rice Flour
1 medium sized Onion - Finely chopped
1 small Carrot - grated
6-7 green chilies
1 teaspoon Grated Ginger
A handful of Fresh Coriander
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 cup Curds
Salt as per taste

How To:

In a pan, dry roast Oats & set it aside to cool. Once cool, grind it into a powder using a mixer-blender

In the same pan, roast Fine Raw until aromatic. Set aside

In a pan, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add onions & Green chilies & sauté for a couple of minutes. Add ginger & grated carrots & sauté until the carrots are slightly cooked. Turn off the heat.

In a wide bowl, add powdered Oats, Rava, Rice Flour sautéed Onion-carrot mixture, Curds, Baking Soda, chopped coriander & Salt.

Add water to make a fairly thick batter. Set aside for 10-15 minutes

Now Proceed to make Paddus.

To Make Paddus

Grease the Paddu maker with oil. Turn on the heat. When its fairly hot, add a ladle full of batter into each indent & cover with a lid. Let it cook on medium flame

After a minutes, with the help of a small spoon, flip the paddus & let them cook the other side as well.

After a minute, Take them out of Paddu Maker & serve hot with Peanut Chutney

Grease the Paddu Maker again & repeat the process to make more Paddus

NOTE:

These Paddus have a slightly sticky inside due to the addition of oats which is why they taste best when its Hot & freshly out of the pan. Its not very suitable to be carried in a Lunch/Snack box