Pita Laddu (Pus Pus Laddu)/ Gava pita Laddu/ Wheat flour Laddu/ Atta Laddu

Among the culinary delights that I relished during my childhood days, the pus-pus laddu or atta laddu holds a special place in my heart. My visit to my native town would be incomplete without having this sweet. The reason for the name pus-pus laddu is because these laddus are so soft that you need to hold a hand near your mouth to catch the crumbled pieces while taking a bite - yes, they are that soft and yet they beautifully retain their shape until you take a bite! I happened to learn this recipe recently from my mom-in-law and here is the recipe to this mouth watering dessert that will surely melt your hearts.

Recipe:
Ingredients:

Wheat Flour (Atta) - 4 cups
Sugar - 3 cups
Ghee - 1.5 cups
Cardamom - 10

This gives about 30 laddus.

Preparation:

1. Fry wheat flour in a pan. Stir continuously on medium flame. The wheat flour should fry well. Once it turns brownish color, switch off the flame and keep it aside.
2. Grind sugar and cardamom (remove skin) in a mixer (Split and grind so it doesn't get stuck in the mixer).
3. Once the wheat flour cools down, mix the sugar cardamom powder to it. 
4. Then put ghee and mix well. Finally make balls with the mix.

Wheat flour Laddu is ready to be served.

*Small red vatis were used as measuring cups.

Odiyo Roase

Fry odi in oil

Make the masala like u do for valli bhaji randayi- it should be coarse

Fry onion in oil, add the masala - if you have tamarind use that, else use raw mango...let it koth koth.. Then add odi and koth koth for 2 mins and switch off

Instead of onion, you can also use mustard seeds and curry leaves for tadka

Matki chi Usal

Matki chi Usal is one of the healthiest curries that also tastes great. Its popular in Maharashtra and the northern Karnataka. It goes well with Poori or even Jowar roti. It is made from the sprouted Moth beans and has many health benefits. Here goesNik's recipe for making this delicious dish.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Moth Beans (Matki) - 1 cup (soaked overnight until sprouted)
Oil - 4 tsp
Peanuts - 10 (optional)
Cumin Seeds (Jira) - 1 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) - pinch
Mustard Seeds - 1tsp
Onion - 1
Salt - to taste
Chili Powder - 2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1 tsp (grated)
Sugar - 1 tsp

Preparation:

1. Soak Matki for a few hours and drain the water. Leave it overnight in a cheese cloth so that it sprouts.
2. Boil the matki in pressure cooker for 2 whistles.
3. Heat Oil in a pan.
4. If you like to use peanuts in your curry, then fry them in oil first.
5. Then add jira, hing, mustard seeds and grated ginger. 
6. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add onion and salt. Let it cook for a few mins.
7. Once the onion is cooked, add chili powder, garam masala powder and mix well.
8. Add matki with very little water and cook for a while. 
9. Add sugar and adjust the salt as per your taste. Cook on low for sometime and then garnish it with coriander leaves.

Matki Chi Usal is ready to be served with Poori or Jowar Roti.

Mulka

Rice - make a rava

Coconut

Salt

Jaggery

Elaichi

Grind to a thick paste

Oil fry it

Kadabu

1 small vatti chana dal with water boil 3 whistle in cooker - medium soft

Water can be used in saar

1 vatti jaggery

Mix both together and keep stiring

Put elaichi, 2 lavang, small jaiphal, fried kas kas - 2-4 tsp, kismis

Gava cha peet, rava - 1 tsp, 2 tsp hot oil, bit of salt - it shid be dough hard.

Small small puris knead.

Dont make it very hard nor very soft

Put milk for sealing it.

Doodh khadi

1 maap bombay rava

1 ghee

4 milk

4 sugar

Kayli ghalno davar

Then remove it and put on stove and keep mixing

First mix on high flame and then mix on low flame. Keep alternating betern low and high and keep stirring continuously.

It will dry out as a hard ball. Keep it aside for sometime. After it dries, take a large thin base container and spread it on that. After it cools down, cut it. It tastes similar to barfi.

Loshni Chutney

Loshni Chutney (Garlic Chutney) is a side that is prepared when Jowar Roti is made at home. This is a very simple recipe and here is my mom's recipe to this yummy dish.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Freshly Grated Coconut - 0.5 cup
Red Chilly - 6
Tamarind - small ball (marble size)
Garlic - 3
Salt - as per taste

Preparation:

Take all the above ingredients in a mixer. In order to get the rich red color and the spice, make sure you use a mix of Kashmiri red chillies (for color) and Byadgi chilly (for the heat). Add some water when you grind.

Loshni chutney is ready to be served with Jowar Roti.

Javari Roti/Joladda Roti/Jowar Roti

Jowar Roti is one of the most healthiest food you can eat and your body will thank you for it! This is a specialty from North Karnataka and is served with a variety of side curries and many people love it. At my home, this used to be prepared for breakfast and would be served with loshni chutney (garlic chutney). This combo tastes so good - you must really try to believe!

Here's my Mom's amazing recipe on how you can make this easily at home!

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Jowar Flour - 3 cups
Water - 1 cup
Salt - as per taste
Sugar - 0.5 tsp (optional)

Preparation:
1. Boil water. The water should be really very hot when you put the jowar flour in.
2. Add some salt and optionally sugar to this boiling water.
3. Add Jowar Flour and stir continuously.
4. Take off the Stove and knead this dough well. If the dough is pretty sticky, add a bit more flour. Make small balls and knead each ball well.
5. Roll it into a round shape, you can dip it in more flour to help with the rolling.
6. Fry it on both sides on a pan. I usually like applying ghee to both sides while frying.

Jowar Roti is ready to be served with the loshni chutney. 

Khichdi

Khichdi is the Konkani version of sweet pongal. This is prepared in our household during Sankranti (a.k.a festival of harvest or festival of Kites). This delicious recipe from my mom will surely have your tastebuds kicking. This mouth watering dessert is best served with dollops of ghee.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Moong Dal - 1 cup
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Ghee - 4 tsp
Jaggery - 1 ball
Cardamom Powder - 0.5 tsp
Freshly Grated Coconut - 0.5 cup
Cashews - 5 (optional)
Raisings - 5 (optional)


Preparation:
1. Wash Moong Dal and basmati rice thoroughly and drain the water.
2. In a pan, take some ghee and fry the moong dal and rice.
3. Once it is fried a bit, put it in a pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistles. After 2 whistles, let it stay on gas.
4. Then add Jaggery as needed based on the sweetness desired, although I must say, this dish tastes great when it is very sweet.
5. Next add the cardamom powder and freshly grated coconut.
6. Garnish it with Cashews & raisins (if you like it).

Douse it in Ghee and serve it hot.