Roochis

Ragi Sangiti / Ragi Muddhe / Kelveragu Kali / Finger Millet Balls

This is a day to day lunch / dinner in most of the houses in Karnataka. Particularly those who do much of physical work like Construction workers have this as this is economical and it stuffs the stomach and does not make one hungry very soon.
Mostly considered to be the food of poor but very good for health and for those who have diabetes.
Ingredients :
Ragi flour: 1 portion
Oil : 1 table spoon
Salt to taste
Water : 2.5 portion

Method of preparation : Pour water in a thick bottomed vessel add salt, water and bring it to boil. As the water boils put the ragi flour into it as a lump and do not stir. Close the lid and cook it for 5 min. Now take a spoon and stir it well such that all the lumps are taken out. Keep it on the flame till you get a thick consistency. Take a round bottomed bowl and coat it with little oil, using the ladle put the cooked ragi into a big bowl and move the bowl such that a round is formed. Transfer to a plate and serve hot.

I use the bowl to make the round as the flour would be quite hot to handle in hand. Learnt from my mom :)
By adding 2.5 portion of water Sangiti would be a little softer and taste good.

PS : Please note for those who have never tasted this earlier. This would be sticky and therefore you have to coat your fingers with the gravy and then take a small round of the ball and swallow. If you bite it then it would be sticky.

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Puli Keerai / Pulupu Kooraku / Tangy Greens

This is a quick greens recipe that goes well with Rice and Ragi Balls.

Ingredients :
Green Leaves : 2 bunches ( Paalak (spinach) Arai keerai / siri keerai)
Onion : 1 No.
Tomato : 1 No.
Tamarind Extract : 1 table spoon
Garlic : 5 pods
Green / Dry chillies : 3 to 4 Nos.
Salt

For Seasoning : Mustard Seeds, Oil, Urad dhal, Green curry leaves

Put all the above Ingredients along with enough water and cook it for around 15 min, you can even pressure cook it. Once its done smash it coarsely with a hand mixer or Grinding stick. Dnt use Mixer it does not taste good. Now add seasoning to this and mix.

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Vegetable Sagu

Sagu is an accompliment with Set Dosa served in most of the Bangalore restaurants. This is my version of Veg Sagu which goes with Rice also pretty well.

Ingredients :
Grated coconut : 3-4 tbl spn
Fried grams : 2 tbl spn
Fennel Seeds : qtr tea spn
Ginger : half inch & Garlic 4 pods

Onion : 1 No.
Mustard seeds : 1 tea spn
Urad Dhal : 1 tea spn
Peas, Carrot, Beans, Potatoes ( 1 cup together)
Green chillies : 4 Nos.
Curry leaves : 1 string
Coriander leaves
Salt

Method of preparation :
Grind coconut, fried grams, fennel seeds, ginger and garic into a coarse paste.
Head oil in a pan, add Mustard seeds, Urad dhal once the mustard splutters add curry leaves, green chillies and onion. once the onion turn translucent add the vegetables and grount mixture, salt and little water. Close the lid and cook till the veggies are done. You can use a pressure cooker to make things easier. Adjust the taste and add coriender leaves. Serve with Set dosas / Rice

Preparation time is around 15 min.

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Chicken Curry - Simple version

I learnt to make chicken gravy in only one way from my mom. Once i moved to Germany after marriage, I started to browse for recipes as I had to cook a different dish every day. Only when I realized how difficult it is for moms to decide on what to cook on particular day. Earlier when my mom asked what to cook for the day, mostly I would bluntly say anything, but now I know how irritating an answer that is...

This version of chicken curry goes well with rice and any kind of Indian bread. I feel when there are not many of them for the meal then its best to try this version out. Say just for 2 or 4 of them this would be apt.

Ingredients :
Marination :
Chicken : 200 gms
Potatoes : 2 Nos. (Optional)
Ginger Garlic paste : 2 tbl spn
Coriander Powder : 1 tbl spn
Chilly Power : 1 tal spn
Turmeric Powder : 1 tea spn
Curd : 5 to 6 tbl spn
Salt
-------------------
for Gravy :
Garam Masala powder : 1 tea spn
Pepper powder : 1 tea spn
Onions : 4 Nos. Medium sized
Oil : 2 tbl spns
Curry leaves : 1 string
Mint Leaves : 3 stings
Coriander leaves

Method of preparation :
Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients given in marination list and start doing the rest of the chopping tasks which would be enough.
Heat oil in a thick iron / nonstick pan once its hot add curry leaves and then finely chopped onions (chop onion as finely as possible) once the onions turn golden brown add the marinated chicken and fry it for 5 min and then add water, close it with a lid and stir it once in every 3 to 4 min. Add more water if the gravy is getting dried. After 10 min add garam masala powder and mix well and allow the chicken to cook tender. When the chicken is almost done then add Pepper powder, mint leaves, coriander leaves and close the lid for 5 min. If the water is too much in the gravy then cook it without the lid on till you feel its in the right consistency. Serve Hot

The chicken gravy tastes great when you cook for around 30 min in medium flame.