BILI HOLIGE & SIKARNE

MANGO FEST- MANGO FEAST

When mango season started in India, every now and then I used to hear over phone abt "Holige-Sikarne oota" either from my inlaws or from my parents. Back home, we used to go to Lal Bagh Mango Mela to buy mangoes in bulk. We used to make Sikarne with Holige, Puri or Chapathi every weekend during Mango season and invite frens n relatives for lunch. When my eyes caught Indian mangoes in Desi Grocery store, I grabbed few thinking of sikarne. Yesterday I made Bili Holige, Potato Palya with Mango Sikarne.

SIKARNE

Sikarne is made from Mango, its sort of mango juice. Take required number of mangoes and squeeze out all the pulp, add sugar/jaggery (as required) and a tsp of cardmom powder. Sikarne is ready! Have it with Holige/Bili holige/ Chapathi/ Puri.

To make 10 Bili Holige:-

Ingredients :-
For stuffing:
Rice Flour -1 lb
Water - 2 cups
salt - a pinch
Outer layer:
All purpose flour/maida- 2 cups
Oil- 1 tbsp
Salt a pinch
Water to make dough

Procedure:-

• Prepare a thin dough by mixing maida, salt and water. Smear oil all around the dough,keep it covered for an hour.
• Pour water in a vessel, add salt, bring water to boil, add Rice flour, allow it to bake for 15 mins.
• Stir properly to break lumps, remove the vessel from heat.
• Knead well, add flour if required, make even sized dough balls.
• Stuff the rice dough ball in maida layer as shown in picture.

• Roll them with roller pin on a butter paper.

• Put holige on a hot tava/ griddle, brush with oil.

• Roast for few seconds until the top begins to puff.

• Turn the holige and again roast until it puffs , then remove from tava.

• Relish holige with Potato palya and mango sikarne.

MIRCH MASALA / STUFFED FRYING PEPPER FRITTERS

There is a petty Snack shop near our home in Bangalore, where me and my DH used to hangout in the evening to eat spicy stuffed capsicum fritters. That shop used to be so much crowded, we had to wait in queue for more than an hour to eat. My DH was asking me to make those fritters from long time. So, yesterday I made the fritters using cuban frying peppers instead of Capsicum and one more thing is that shop lady used to sprinkle some sort of powder and she used to apply some sort of chutney which would make the fritters more tasty and spicy. Here I have used only coriander chutney, even then they were tasty. It was a big hit!!!

Frying Pepper

Ingredients:-

To make 4 fritters

Cuban Frying pepper- 2 nos. (Cut them half to make 4)

Besan flour- 1 cup

Ajwain- 1/2 tsp

Baking soda- a pinch

Salt to taste

Oil to fry

For Stuffing:

Coriander chutney (Swad brand preferred)

Grated carrot- 1/2 cup

Finely chopped onion- 1/2 cup

Finely chopped Coriander leaves- 1 tbsp

Half lemon

Procedure:-

• Mix besan with water and make batter without any lumps.
• Add salt , ajwain, soda to the batter, mix well.
• Dip pepper in batter (whole surface of pepper shd be covered with batter).
• Deep fry in oil.
• Allow it to cool for few minutes.
• Slit the fritter at centre, apply coriander chutney, then place Chopped onion, grated carrot, sprinkle coriander leaves and squeeze lemon 4-5 drops.
• Yummmmmmmmmm, have it quickly.
  
  

KIWI SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:-

Serves-2
Sliced Kiwi - 2 cups
Yogurt/curd- 1 cup
Honey- 2 tsp
Ice cubes- 1 cup

Procedure:-

• Grind kiwi, honey and yogurt together in a blender.
• Pour it to serving glasses and add ice cubes.
  

CHAPATHI AND ALOO PALAK

CHAPATHI

Ingredients :-

Wheat flour- 2 cups
Oil- 2 tsp
Water to make dough
Salt - a pinch

Procedure:-

• Mix the flour with water and knead to a smooth dough.
• Keep closed for 1 to 2 hours.
• Divide the dough into even sized balls and roll them into 8"-9" dia thin circles.
• Heat the griddle and put chapathi. When small bubbles appear on top, turn over immediately.When it puffs up, remove from griddle.
• Serve hot with vegetables/ curry/ chutney.

ALOO PALAK

Ingredients:-

Palak- 1 bunch (approx. 30-40 leaves)

Boiled Potato/Aloo-2 nos.

Chopped onion- 1 cup

Tomato puree-1 cup

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Green chillies- 2 nos.

Red chilli pwdr- 1 tsp

Cinnamom, clove pwdr- 1 tsp

Garam masala pwdr- 1 tsp

Turmeric pwdr/ haldi- 1/4 tsp

Ginger paste- 1 tsp

Oil to saute

Salt to taste

Procedure:-

• Cook cleaned spinach with chilli in a pan until soft.
• Allow it to cool, grind it and keep aside.
• Cut boiled potatoes into cubes.
• Heat oil in a wok, fry potato cubes and keep aside.
• In remaining oil, saute cumin seeds, ginger paste and chopped onion.
• Fry until onion turn golden brown in color.
• Now add tomato puree, cook for 5 minutes.
• Add cinnamon- clove pwdr, garam masala pwdr, red chilli pwdr and turmeric pwdr/haldi one by one respectively.
• Fry until all the powders blend and become paste.
• Add ground spinach paste and salt, keep stirring, cook for 7 minutes.
• Finally add fried potato cubes.
• Serve hot with Naan/Chapathi/paratha/roti.

FRUIT SALAD

Ingredients:-

Apple- 1 no.
Banana- 1 no.
Grapes- 1 cup
Peach- 1 no.
Plum- 1 no.
Water melon- 1 cup
Custard powder (Brown & Palson preferred)- 1 tbsp
Milk-1 cup

Procedure:-

• Mix Custard powder with 1/4 cup water and keep it aside.
• Bring milk to boil and custard mix to it, cook for 5 minutes.
• Refrigerate the custard for 1-2 hrs.
• Mix all the cubed / diced fruits and pour custard before serving.

GODHI PAYAS / CRACKED WHEAT PUDDING

Ingredients:-

Cracked wheat- 1 Cup

Powdered jaggery- 1 cup

Water- 4 cups

Cardmom pwdr- 1/2 tsp

Poppy seeds- 1 tsp

Grated dry coconut- 1tbsp

Fried cashew, raisins- 1 tbsp

Procedure:-

• Cook wheat with water in cooker till soft( 2 whistles).
• Add powdered jaggery and stir well.
• Cook for 10 minutes.
• Then add cardmom powder.
• Sprinkle poppy seeds, grated coconut ,cahsew and raisins.
• Serve hot or chilled.

BADAM BARFI

Ingredients:-

Almond/badam- 1 cup

Sugar- 3/4 cup

Cardmom pwdr- 1/2 tsp

Procedure:-

• Soak almonds in hot water for an hour, then peel off the skin and make paste in blender.
• Dissolve sugar in 3/4 cup water and make one string consistency syrup.
• Add almond paste , keep stirring until it leaves side and bottom of pan.
• Add cardmom pwdr and stir well. Remove from heat.
• Allow it to cool for few mins.
• Transfer it to a greased plate, pat it and cut it into desired shape.

PIZZA

Back home, I always gave home made snacks to my dotty , after coming here to US, I tried giving her Finger foods like Cheerios, crackers, cereals etc but in vein. I think her tongue is already adjusted to Indian spicy food, she doesnot like to taste these bland cheerios. She loves to eat only 2 things (outside food) here in US, number one is Chocolate Donut and number 2 is none other than PIZZZZZZZZZZZA!!! This is the first time I am trying to make pizza from the scratch, I was skeptical about pizza base, but that too turned out soft.

Ingredients:-

To make 9" pizza

All Purpose flour/ maida- 1 cup

Oil - 2 tsp

Active dry yeast- 4 gms( half sachet, it comes in 8 gms packet)

Tomato sauce-1/2 cup

Chilli sauce- 2 tbsp

Sliced green bell pepper- 1/2 cup

Sliced onion- 1/2 cup

Sliced Tomato- 1/2 cup

Pitted olive- 10-12 nos.

Shredded Mozzarella cheese- 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Hot water -3/4 cup

Procedure:-

• Add yeast in hot water and stir it and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
• Add a pinch of salt to flour and make dough by adding the yeast dissolved water.
• Smear oil on the surface of dough, keep it in warm place for an hour.
• After an hour, size of the dough will be doubled.
• Roll it to half inch thick by using roller pin on a flour dusted platform.
• Preheat the oven at 450 deg F.
• Place the Pizza base in baking pan and bake it for 4-5 minutes.
• Take out from oven, apply tomato sauce and chilli sauce on the base.
• Mix all the veggies in a bowl add chilli sauce and salt as per your taste.
• Place all chopped veggies, olives on the base.
• Sprinkle shredded mozarella cheese above the veggies.
• Bake it in oven at 450 deg F for 15 minutes. ( I baked it for 20 mins, so my cheese got burnt a bit, so be careful).
• Voila!!! Pizza is ready !!!!!!

Before Baking
After baking

HI 5 DESSERT

First of all, I would like to thank Mr. & Mrs. Mummigatti for sharing this recipe. They invented this dessert and I named it as "HI-5 DESSERT" as this yummy dessert has 5 layers.

Ingredients:-

Serves- 6

Lady Fingers - 15 Nos.
Sugar- 1/2 cup
Heavy Cream -1 cup

Whole Milk - 1 Cup
Pound cake ( sara Lee preferred)
Vanilla Icecream - 6 scoops

Choclate or coffee icecream - 6 scoops
Roast cashews for dressing

Lady Fingers

Pound Cake

Procedure:-

• Mix the sugar, cream and milk. Warm the mixture to get the sugar dissolved completely ( donot overheat), transfer this to a flat bottom bowl.
• Dip each lady finger in the cream mixture and lay on the bottom of the serving bowl. Cover the base of bowl with as many lady fingers needed.
• Pour any remaining cream and milk mix over the bed of lady fingers.
• Warm the vanilla ice cream just enough to make it soft and spreadable. ( almost the consistency of cream cheese)
• Spread the vanilla icecream on top of Lady Finger bed.
• Make slices of cake and spread them over the vanilla icecream ( better to dip them in Milk)
• Warm the Choclate ice cream just enough to make it soft and spreadable.
• Spread the Chocolate icecream on top of cake layer.
• To finish top layer ,Spread roast cashews on top.
• Chill it for 2 hours before serving.
  

STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

Quench your thirst - drink Strawberry Smoothie

Ingredients:-

Serves-2

Sliced strawberries - 2 cups

Fresh Orange juice- 1/2 cup

Yogurt/curd- 1 cup

Honey- 2 tsp

Ice cubes- 1 cup

Procedure:-

• Grind strawberries, orange juice , honey and yogurt together in a blender.
• Pour it to serving glasses and add ice cubes.
• Serve with a smile on your face.

Father's Day Spl

Last month on Mother's Day my DH got me few dresses and took me out for dinner, he made me feel special on that day. So, on Father's Day I wanted to make something special for him.Tit for Tat!!!!!! ( hehehe in a good way) . Thought of making something which both my DD n DH like. I made Pizza, Chocolate cake( got Pillsbury ready mix, baked it but icing and strawberry arrangement is my work), Strawberry smoothie and Hi-5 dessert. Everything turned out good. It was fantabulous!!!!!

SOAKED PUFFED RICE

We call it "Thoyisida Mandakki" in North Karnataka. Its very easy to make and less time consuming. It will be heaven if it is served with Mirchi/ Bonda/Bajji.

Ingredients:-

Puffed Rice- 4 cups
Onion- 2 medium sized
Green chillies- 4 nos.
Curry leaves- 1 string
Shredded coconut- 2 tbsp
Chopped coriander leaves- 2 tbsp
Fried peanut- 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Oil to saute- 4 tbsp
Salt to taste

Procedure:-

• Heat oil in wok, add curry leaves, chopped green chillies and onion.
• Saute till Onion becomes translucent.
• Add turmeric pwdr and salt.
• Cook for 2-3 mins, remove from heat.
• Soak puffed rice in water for 3-4 mins, drain water, sqeeze and remove excess water.
• Mix puffed rice with saute onion.
• Sprinkle shredded coconut, coriander leaves and peanut.
• Heat it in oven for 60 seconds or heat in a wok for a minute before serving.

SPICY BUTTER MILK

"Beat the Heat with Butter Milk"

Ingredients:-

To Make 2 glasses:

Curd- 1 cup

Water - 1 cup

Finely chopped onion- 1 tbsp(optional)

Grated ginger- 1 tsp

Slit Green chilli- 1 no.

Finely chopped coriander leaves- 1 tbsp

Finely chopped curry leaves- 4-5 leaves

Salt to taste

Procedure:-

• Beat the curd in blender by adding water.
• Mix all the other above said ingredients.
• Stir it well n serve.

BELLULLI MANDAKKI ( GARLIC PUFFED RICE)

" Bellulli Mandakki" ( Bellulli=Garlic, Mandakki=Puffed rice) is a fav evening time snack for North Kannadigas. There are many road side stalls in my hometown where bellulli mandakki is served with Mirchi/bonda. Backhome I hardly used to eat mandakki, now I crave to eat it!!!!!!!!

Ingredients:-

Puffed rice- 6 cups
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard- 1 tsp
Curry leaves- 1 string
Garlic slices-2 tbsp
Peanut- 2 tbsp
Daliya- 2 tbsp
Cashews- 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder- 1tsp/ as per your taste
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

PROCEDURE:-

• Heat oil in a wok, add mustard, curry leaves, garlic pods, peanut, cashews, daliya one by one,fry for 2 -4 minutes.
• Turn off the heat, add red chilli powder, sugar and salt. Mix it well.
• Mix the above masala with puffed rice.
• Voila, mouth watering mandakki is ready.

ALOO PARATHA

Paratha is an Indian flat bread made with wheat flour and stuffed with vegetable.There are many varities in paratha like aloo paratha, gobi paratha, paneer paratha, raddish paratha, palak paratha, methi paratha etc. I made aloo paratha for dinner, had it with curd and chutney,it was awesome!!!!!!!!

Ingredients:-

Wheat flour- 3 cups

Oil- 2 tsp

Water to make dough

Salt - a pinch

For stuffing:

Boiled potatoes/ aloo- 3 Nos.

Chopped onion -1 cup

Green chillies- 4-5 nos.

Chopped curry leaves & coriander leaves- 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder- a pinch

Salt to taste

Oil to saute

Procedure:-

• Mix the flour with water and knead to a smooth dough, smear oil on surface, keep it aside.
• Saute green chillies, onion in a pan add salt, turmeric powder and chopped curry, coriander leaves.
• Add boiled and mashed potatoes to the sauted onion. Mix it well.
• Divide the dough into even sized balls and roll them into 3" diameter circles.
• Stuff aloo inside and close it. Roll it like chapathi.
• Heat the griddle and place paratha. When small bubbles appear on top, turn over immediately bake both the sides.
• Apply little ghee or butter on paratha.
• Serve hot with vegetables/ curry/ chutney/curd.

BREAD PAKODA

It was raining in the evening here, we were craving to eat something hot with coffee. Few days back, dear fren Leena was telling me that she had made bread pakodas, that flickered my mind n made bread pakodas. We sat in balcony n relished pakodas. Rain, coffee, pakoda, balcony....... wow!! what a combination!!!!!!

Ingredients:-

To make 6 pakodas

Bread slices -3 nos.

Besan flour- 1 cup

Rice flour- 1tbsp

Chopped green chillies- 2/3 nos.

Chopped coriander leaves- 1tbsp

Chopped curry leaves- 1 string

Ajwain- 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil to fry

Procedure:-

• Dry mix besan, rice flour, ajwain and salt.
• Add water to make batter, mix it well so that there are no lumps in it.
• Now add chopped curry leaves, chillies, coriander leaves.
• Cut the bread slice at center and make 6 pcs out of 3 slices.
• Dip bread slice in the batter and deep fry both the sides in oil.
• Serve hot with ketchup/ chutney.
  

PANEER KHEER

Ingredients:-
To make paneer:
Milk- 4 cups
Lime juice- 2-3tsp

For Kheer:
Milk- 4 cups
Sugar- 1/4 cup
sliced almonds, pistachios- 1 tbsp
Cardmom pwdr- a pinch

Procedure:-

To prepare Paneer:

• Add 4 cups of milk in a vessel and turn heat to medium high.
• When milk starts boiling add lime juice.
• Keep stirring until milk completely curdles and separates from water.
• Strain it in a muslin cloth and collect paneer, run cold water to remove taste of lime.
• Tie a knot and squeeze the paneer to remove water content.
• Keep the paneer in a dry cloth for about 15 minutes so that dry cloth absorbs the water content from paneer fully.
• Use this Paneer in kheer.

To prepare kheer:

• Boil 4 cups of milk until it reduces to 2 cups.
• Add sugar, paneer and cardmom pwdr.Boil for 5 minutes.
• Garnish with pistachios, almonds.
• Serve hot/chilled.