Sticky rice with Mango

The sticky rice with mango is a Thai specialty dessert. The sticky rice is made using the sweet rice which is available in the Asian stores. This sweet rice is cooked with the coconut milk to give it a toothsome flavor. I was lucky to get my hands on some of the Indian Mangoes from a grocery store this summer and I tried out this dessert that I love so much.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Sweet Rice - 1/2 cup

Coconut Milk - 3/4 cup

Sugar - 3 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Mango - 1

Preparation:

1. Wash the sweet rice thoroughly. The sweet rice looks like below:

We got it from this brand from an asian supermarket:

2. Add the rice to the pressure cooker along with coconut milk, sugar and salt and pressure cook it for 3 whistles.

3. Serve it with Mango slices.

Masoor Dal

Masoor Dal is one of the most tastiest lentils cooked in an onion, garlic and tomato gravy and infused with the Indian Spices. This is prepared in a North Indian style and I learnt this one from my hubby. I can vouch for how scrumptious this one is. You can literally feel those lentils melt in your mouth. It goes really well with Puri or Roti.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Masoor Dal - 1 cup

Onions - 1 medim sized (chopped)

Ginger - small piece  (grated)

Garlic - 4-5 pods (crushed)

Tomato - 1 (chopped)

Green Chillies - 3 (slit)

Oil -1 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 2 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves to garnish

Salt to taste

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

1. Pressure cook Masoor Dal with 1 tsp salt upto 2 whistles and keep it aside.

2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let it splutter.

3. Next add crushed garlic and fry it until the aroma starts to come through.

4. Add chopped onions and cook it until it becomes slightly brown.

5. Add the green chillies, grated ginger and tomato and let it cook. The tomatoes should  become mashy.

6. Next add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder.

7. Add the boiled masoor dal to the above mix and a bit of water and let it simmer.

8. Add garam masala, salt and a bit of sugar. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

It can be served with rice or eaten with roti/puri.

Red Puri

Red Puri is a Maharastrian speciality which I learnt from my Mom-in-law. This is typically eaten with chutney powder or by dipping it in tea. Here's the recipe for it:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 2 cups

Red Chilly Powder -2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Sugar - 3/4 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Water -1/2 cup

Oil to fry

Preparation:

1. Take 1 tsp oil and add cumin seeds, red chilly powder, sugar and salt.

2. Next add wheat flour and water and knead it into a dough. The dough looks like this:

3. Make round balls and roll it into a circular shape.

4. Deep fry it in oil.

You can serve it with any curry or simply eat it with chutney powder. In the below pic, I have served it with Masoor Dal.

Red Poha

Red Poha is a popular breakfast side in Konkani Cuisine. The masala used in this is readily available in some towns of Karnataka. If you do not have the masala, you can prepare it as shown in this post. Here is the recipe straight out of my Mom's Kitchen.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Coconut - 1 cup

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - a pinch of it

Salt

Sugar - 1 tsp

Thin Poha - 2 cup

Oil - 1 tsp

Red chilly powder - 2 tsp

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan.

2. Add mustard seeds, let it splutter.

3. Next add a pinch of hing.

4. Add red chilly powder and remove it from stove.

5. Add salt and sugar.

6. Once the mixture cools down, add grated coconut and mix well.

7. Finally add the thin poha and mix it well. Add some pressure while mixing to mix it better.

You can add peanuts to make it taste better. Alternatively, you can serve it with chivda too.

Sambar

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Toor dal - 1 cup

Chopped vegetables (like carrots, cauliflower, potato etc) - 1 cup

Water - 2.5 cups

Green chillies - 6 (if you want it spicy, else adjust accordingly)

Tamarind

Oil

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Chana dal - 1 tsp

Hing - a pinch of it

Curry leaves

Onion - 1

Red chilly powder - 4 tsp

Garam masala powder - 0.5 tsp

Salt

Jaggery - a small piece

Coriander leaves - to garnish

Preparation:

1. Wash toor dal, add chopped vegetables, water, green chillies and turmeric powder and bring pressure cook it till the dal becomes soft.

2. In a pan, heat oil for tadka. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, hing, curry leaves and onion. Let it cook for some time. Add this tadka to the boiled dal.

3. Soak tamarind in warm water. Add this tamarind juice to the boiled dal.

4. Add red chilly powder, garam masala powder, salt and a bit of jaggery and let it boil for 5 -10 mins.

5. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve it hot with rice.