I had a craving last noon. It was a serious one to say. A craving that cracked me crazy. In a long time I reminded myself and yearned for a morsel of it. Just a morsel that would satisfy me and feel at peace. May be it was the dreary weather or miss of my daily dose of conversation over phone with amma-appa, ever since they whisked far away to explore the greener pastures of Europe for their annual holiday. But it kicked me hard in my stomach. So hard, that I reached out to my husband on a frantic phone call to make a trip down to Indian stores that very evening, in every sense of urgency. 'Twenty-eight miles just for a coconut? Can it not wait? Wasn't it two days ago we had been there?', he zapped in midst of Monday morning chaos at work, composing his thoughts over matters more important than a mere coconut. Damn! Who knew I would hanker so much for a simple bowl of huli! For a craving that has least sense of timing or inventory (could I just not do with the leftover sweetened coconut I used here?), but had to be appeased.

Truth to be told, the past three months never saw a day with fresh coconut. We never bought one here. The Indian store we shop at barely stocks one or two sad looking coconuts, often sleeping on the verge of their expiry bed. The packaged grated coconut is a bigger risk to buy. What if it tuned out to be rancid? After all, with no packaging date on it whatsoever, I wonder for how long it has been sitting there. The brand new blender I bought, advertised it could churn blocks of ice to granita in seconds. It broke out within days with a nasty burnt smell while attempting a simple fruit-date smoothie. That, enough was a hint for me. It could not stand the heavy duty grinding of Indian spices and coconut.

Coconut chutney, tambli, gojju, paladhya, menskai did not feature in our menus. Otherwise the usual course of tip-toeing and balancing myself between Northern and Southern cooking, here I was, survived mostly by chopping copious batches of onions, brewing gallons of tomatoes to broth, throwing mounts of red chillies and garam masalas in almost every fare I made, cooking basic Northern dishes much to my husband's delight and satisfaction. I did make occasional saar that didn't call for coconuts, served dosas with coconut-less-chutneys and palyas that went without the mellowed sweetness from the much-desired-generous-garnish of fresh coconut. The pre-packed coconut I had bought long ago assuming would be good for curries was so sweetened, that it was consumed in desserts and occasionally bitter-gourd stews.

The little Southerner in me craved for the real deal.

So it had to be. A day I called for huli. Made the way my mother makes it, smashing whole tondekayi (known as tindora in hindi / ivy gourd in English) and tossing them in a delicate coconut based curry infused with garlic tempering. Little toiling and more satisfaction of finally accomplishing it - done, served and relished. In feeling of worth and delirious joy like none other. Of clinching rice between fingers, mashing them through huli and drawing morsel by morsel of it with fingers to satisfy the insatiable desire of being home. Of savoring comfort food that reminds me of my mother. Of swaddling in spices that brings aromas of her kitchen into mine. Deep satisfaction. Simple joys.

TonDekayi MeNasina HuLi | Ivy Gourd in Spiced Coconut Curry

INGREDIENTS

20-24 ivy gourds( also known as tondekayi/ tindla/ tindora)
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Grind to Paste:

1 cup grated fresh coconut
1 tbsp. thick tamarind pulp
5-6 red chillies
1 tsp. jaggery

For Tempering:

2 tsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
3-4 garlic pods, smashed
A twig of curry leaves

DIRECTIONS

Wash the ivy gourds in running water and clean them on a kitchen towel. Snip off the tips at both the ends (as shown in the pic above). Using the wide bladed knife, smash the ivy gourd down against the blade, putting just enough pressure using the palms of your hand to smash it. We generally use a pestle to do this. A heavy rolling pin works fine too. What you get is a rough smash of ivy gourds that is still in tact and not broken apart. Transfer the smashed ivy gourds into a pressure cooker along with turmeric powder and salt and just enough water to cover the vegetable. Pressure cook it for 2-3 whistles. Meanwhile, while ivy gourds are being cooked, proceed to making the coconut curry.

Grind to paste the grated fresh coconut along with tamarind pulp, red chillies, jaggery. Add little water to enable smooth grinding. Set aside.

Release the pressure off the cooker and transfer the cooked ivy gourds along with the water into a steel vessel. Add the ground coconut paste, stir well and bring to a rolling boil. Adjust salt and more water depending on your preferred consistency. Simmer and let it boil for 5-7 mins for the spices to be absorbed.

Prepare the tempering by heating coconut oil in a small kadhai / wok. Add mustard seeds to it. As it begins to splutter, add smashed garlic and curry leaves. Fry them till the garlic turns golden brown. Add this to the prepared huLi. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Its cliché that I call myself a diehard foodie, because there are many encounters I make from time to time when I tell myself “oh! I dislike that” or “it tastes gross…. this is yuck!”. I hated papaya always but ate them with no favour because my parents reminded me how much good they would do. I could never stand the sight of jalebis and jahangiris from the time I can remember. I dislike the smell of flax and eggs in my bakes. The smell of strong coffee nauseates me even today. Breads, doughnuts and croissants were never my favourites. Several years now, I still despise samosas. My tummy aches each time I relish the street-side Indian chat. Bread Puddings at restaurants always taste gross. I could go on with this list.

Those exceptions apart, I still assert that I am a foodie at heart. As a kid, my parents did not face problems feeding me with whatever was made in our kitchen. My mom quotes often that even as a toddler I relished bitter gourd juice with as much penchant I did with any other fruit juice. I loved vegetables and fruits with far little exceptions. I was known to sneak peek into the kitchen in mom’s absence at odd hours and do furtive tasting of what was cooked for lunch and dinners. Frivolous memories of digging spoons into the prepared palya, skimming off the spiced watery part that floated on top of the huli saaru, sipping tumbler full of tamblis much ahead of lunch time, and flicking the roasted cashews and raisins that dotted the prepared halwas, till mom worried where they had disappeared still stay fresh and warm.

There were some dishes that could not be made ahead of time. They were meant to be made instantly and served immediately. One that attests my love for our cuisine is this paper-thin beaten rice spiced with green chillies and coconut. It’s really simplicity at its best and revokes fond memories of my school days when mom would whip this up in minutes to forage our hunger with such easy evening snacks. So dead simple and tastes great!

Hasi MeNasina Kayi Avalakki

INGREDIENTS

1 cup beaten rice (paper-thin variety)
1 tsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
4-5 green chillies, finely crushed
1/4 cup fresh grated coconut
1 sprig curry leaves (optional)
1 tbsp. sugar
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Crush the green chillies in a mortar and pestle or by hand. It's a common tradition to crush the chillies by hand, however to avoid the heat getting to your fingers, you may use mortar and pestle for the same. Crush these chillies into the fresh grated coconut so that they release all their flavors.

In a small kadai / wok, heat the coconut oil. Add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Add the curry leaves if using. Switch off the gas and allow it to cool. Add the crushed chillies and coconut along with the tempered oil into the beaten rice, followed by salt and sugar to taste. Toss everything well so that the beaten rice takes in the flavour and spices. Serve immediately. Accompanies well with upma for breakfast or evening snack with tea.

Happy New Year 2014 folks! Welcome to the New Year with revived energies and new hopes for more dreams to fulfil. Hope you had a fabulous holiday time with your family and friends. I hope this new year brings good health, happiness, positivity, strength and peace to all.

We are getting over the holiday season and slowly bringing ourselves back into a routine. This year too, we headed to our home-town like we do every year during Christmas time. A short stay there with my parents and I was back home just before the new year eve. With work and office, this new year eve was a silent one for me. No frolicking, no partying. Just a retrospection.

While I have rarely listed down resolutions for new year in the past, simply because I find it too imposing to live with, I hope to make small promises that will help me bring about some basic changes to my lifestyle. The idea is to make our life more simpler and healthier at every possible step. To control and eliminate processed food to every extent possible, to cut down on sugar and salt intake, to relish more fruits and vegetables in organic and raw, to bring in variety to our palate of food, above all to consider physical well-being as a priority. I shall indulge judiciously, not resist, yet with a tab on them. I would love to learn more, cook a lot good. I am yearning for that healthy rustic food that is comforting at heart. I wake up early and sleep quite late, a not so healthy habit that I need to bring a change to. I need more sleep and I wish to take that up seriously. It is not a diet regime, but the motto is to eat good to feel good. And to feel good is to bring happiness and positivity to mind and body.

The recipe I share with you today is a rustic one that comes from the kitchens of my mother and grandmother. Kalasida Kempu Avalakki simply translates to Crushed Red Spices in Beaten Rice, where the whole red chillies are fried with mustard and curry leaves and then crushed by hand to a coarse texture. This releases all the spices from red chillies into the oil. Yum! I insist a good helping of sugar here as its the sweet, spice and salty flavour that makes this dish flavoursome. It's common to add chopped onions before serving, but I prefer it this way. Serve and consume this immediately as you make, since the paper-thin variety of beaten rice will lose its flakiness as it tends to absorb the moisture from the fresh grated coconut. This dish been there for ages in our traditional Havyaka homes, been loved by many for being so humble, often served as a snack with a cup of tea or an accompaniment to a breakfast. It takes just 5 minutes to put together, is gluten-free, easy on stomach, yet lip-smacking. It's a great tea-time snack, but is commonly served in breakfast as a side with uppittu. With all that partying and indulgent food you had over these holidays, this is an ideal recipe you will love to make. With just few everyday staple ingredients, its simplicity at it's best.

Kalasida Kempu Avalakki

INGREDIENTS

1 cup beaten rice (paper-thin variety)
1 tsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
4-5 whole red chillies (I've used Byaadgi variety)
1/4 cup fresh grated coconut
1 sprig curry leaves (optional)
1 tbsp. sugar
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a small kadai / wok, heat the coconut oil. Add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Add the red chillies along with curry leaves and fry them till the chillies swell and change their colour. Switch off the gas and allow it to cool. Crush the chillies well in their oil. I like to use my fingers for this, however if you worry about the heat getting to your hand use a mortar and pestle for the same. Once you see coarse flakes of chillies, add this spicy oil into the beaten rice, followed by fresh grated coconut, salt and sugar to taste. Toss everything well so that the beaten rice takes in the colour, flavour and spices. Serve immediately.

Uddina ambade, Medu wade or uddina wade are all practically the same. Its all about the shapes. Uddina wade / medu wade are round, donut like with a hole in the center to ensure even cooking of these fried fritters and are often served with idlis or enjoyed as is for breakfast. Uddina ambade are smaller, round shaped fried fritters made with the same ingredients, often served as a tea time snack or as an accompaniment to an elaborate meal. In Mangalore, these very popular evening snacks are also sold as Biscuit ambades in konkani outlets and are relished with a spicy coconut chutney and tea or coffee.

Frying is not my forte. I panic, fumble and get fussy. While anything that is fried always tastes sinfully good, I hate the preparatory and the after work of cleaning oil and vessels that accompany it, also the fact that frying needs constant attention and hand work at the wok at all times. It's occasionally I get into those adventurous shoes when I think my husband and daughter deserve these treats atleast once a while!

These ambades are traditionally served with simple white coconut chutney. But for a spicy twist, I made a Tomato Peanut Chutney that my husband absolutely adores. I have made this chutney on several occasions and they go quite well with idlis, wadas, dosas and akki pundi. I reserve to post the chutney recipe for another day as they do deserve a dedicated post. Do try these ambades and let me know how you loved them.

Uddina Ambade | Black Gram Fritters

INGREDIENTS

1 cup urad dal / black gram
5-6 whole black pepper, broken roughly in a mortar and pestle
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp. finely chopped ginger
2 tsp. grated fresh coconut
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

DIRECTIONS

Wash the urad dal thoroughly and soak it in water for atleast 3-4 hours. This will help to soften the dal. Drain all the water out and grind the dal to a fine paste adding as little water as possible. The batter should be thick, but not stiff. Stiffer batter will result in dense ambades, while runny batter will soak in a lot of oil while frying. Incase the batter seems runny than thick, then you may add in a tablespoon of rice flour. Rice flour also makes the ambade crisp, so a teaspoon of it helps. The key to getting good ambades are in having the right consistency of the batter. Transfer the batter to a bowl and add in the finely chopped green chillies, ginger, grated coconut, peppercorns and salt to the ground batter. Beat the batter well with a wooden spoon and set aside.

Heat a wok-full of oil till its medium hot. Test the oil by dropping a pea sized batter to the oil. If it sizzles and rises to the top then the oil is ready. Lower the temperature and using a spoon, drop small dollops of batter into the oil side by side till they have just covered the oil. Do not overcrowd them, else they will be undone in center. Fry them on slow flame till they are golden brown. Remove and drain on a kitchen paper. Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

How to make BasaLe Soppu HuLi| BasaLe Soppu Kodhel | BasaLe Soppu Sambhar

Homely, rustic and vastly organic. This is the kind of comfort food we grew up eating, often made from easily available farm grown wilds and greens fetched from aunt's estate, grandma's gardens and at times home-grown. I made this dish to bring back fond memories of a part of my childhood spent in the serene small town where convenience to such wild greens was in sheer abundance and was often subjected to lack of appreciation. And so much more to apologize myself for hating this dish through my growing up years. I remember disliking these greens in particular, eating them with puckered brows every time they made an appearance on the table, because my mom never spared cooking even those thick stalks of these creepers every time she lay her hands on them. I have seen dad relish them with relentless penchant. They were probably their favourites, rest assured they were not mine.

But now, it seems like ages since I had a chance to taste BasaLe Soppu or commonly called Malabar Spinach. The Malabar Spinach, also known as Red Vine Spinach grows abundantly in humid weather conditions. It has wide heart shaped leaves with soft-stems that grow into creepers. Despite my dislike for them through my growing up years, I missed them ever since I moved to Bangalore. I have never seen them around here where we live. If someone offered me this dish now, I would probably tag them 'exotic'. As kids, we were told these are healthy and have a great source of nutrition. But it's only now that I have learnt to appreciate those thick stalk-y chews of these wild creepers.

(Pictured above, a lone creeper of Kempu BasaLe Soppu in midst of home-grown mint leaves)

A while ago, I grabbed a budding Malabar Spinach plant from a nursery on our trip back home. A handful of budding leaves on a stalk is all it stood with. Before I could let them grow and spread their wings, my impatience to revive my childhood memories with this dish took control over me and I went on a chopping spree. What remains now is a single barren short stalk that is making its way to climbing, twining, and creeping along another stem. As I patiently watch it grow to nurture new leaves, which will probably take a couple of months, I have a strong sense of excitement of using these home grown leaves in this home styled traditional recipe today. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Basale HuLi

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup Basale soppu (Malabar spinach / Red Vine Spinach)
1/2 cup togaribeLe / tuvar dal (pigeon peas)
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
3 tbsp. kottambari beeja (coriander seeds)
10 + 2 Byadagi red chillies
1 tsp. hing (asafoetida)
1 tsp. jeerige (cumin seeds)
1 tbsp. kadale bele (split bengal gram)
1/2 tsp. menthya (fenugreek seeds)
1/2 cup grated raw coconut
Lemon sized tamarind
1 tsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. jaggery
1 tsp. mustard seeds
A sprig of curry leaves
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Wash and cook the togaribeLe/pigeon peas in pressure cooker along with turmeric till they are soft and mushy.

In a thick bottomed pan, dry-roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, methi seeds, split bengal gram, hing with about 7-10 red chillies till they are fragrant. Remove from heat and allow them to cool. Grind them to a fine paste with a handful of grated fresh coconut and tamarind. Set aside.

Wash the Basale leaves, along with their tender stalks. Chop them into small pieces. In a wide mouthed pan, cook the leaves and stalk in some water. As the leaves wilt and the stalks are cooked, add the cooked dal to this along with the freshly ground paste, a cup of water and bring to a rolling boil. Add a tsp. of grated jaggery along with salt to taste. Adjust the consistency of this huLi by adding more water to your taste and preference.

For the seasoning, heat a tsp of coconut oil in a wok. Fry the mustard seeds till they splutter. Add in torn curry leaves, hing and 2 broken red chillies. Fry for 30 sec and turn off the flame. Add this seasoning to the prepared huLi. Serve hot with steaming hot rice.

Gojju Avalakki recipe, HuLi Avalakki recipe, Havyaka recipes

I have been busy lately. We’ve had lot of travel on our cards this month and have been really enjoying all of it. Earlier this month, we were off to Goa to celebrate our anniversary. Then we headed to Lucknow last week for my brother-in-law’s wedding. Next week, we'll be off travelling to Chennai to celebrate Diwali with the newly-weds. We are just back from the wedding, beginning to unpack and trying to settle our life into normalcy. After all those pre-nuptial sacraments and wedding ceremonies, the late night partying, lot of gluttony gourmandizing, home coming feels good and we are craving simplicity. Weddings like these bring about gastronomical feast and when it spans over a couple of days, over several meals, you know you’ve had excess of it. Here’s when we are in need of a serious post-holiday diet detox. To settle into something homely and comforting like this one.

As much as I wish, not on all days do I have the luxury of making a full-fledged breakfast at home. Most weekdays, we hugely depend on office cafeteria for our breakfast due to lack of time to make one, much unlike of what I have grown up being to. Infact back home at my parents place, breakfast was a 3 course affair and it still continues to be. Being the most enjoyable meal of the day, this is when the family comes together seated at the table and grows over healthy conversations. Starting with a coveted cup of morning tea, seldom a biscuit or rusk to accompany, it’s followed by a main course of either idli, dosa, upma, poha, roti subzi or anything solid and nutritious to fill the stomach, and always ends with a variety of fresh cut fruits to wrap the meal. It’s a norm to have homemade pickles, chutney powders, jams, honey, ghee, jaggery syrup within hands reach on the table to accompany our breakfast dish. Between my hectic routine, I may have gone away from those traditions of enjoying daily breakfast leisurely, but on weekends and days where mornings are at my luxury, I ascertain to make a breakfast that is filling and wholesome and boasts of my family traditions.

Gojju Avalakki, also commonly known as Huli Avalakki is a delicious Karnataka breakfast delicacy made from beaten rice (called as poha / avalakki). I wonder what took me so long to make this breakfast dish at home considering how much I love this dish. This is yet another dish that comes from the realms of our traditional kitchens. A dish that I have grown up eating and evokes strong memories and wonderful nostalgias. My mother made this effortlessly, particularly on special occasions like Shivrathri, Navarathi and Ganesh Chaturthi, where use of onion and garlic are forbidden. It often makes a prominent presence during festivities such as weddings, poojas and Hindu festivals. With a delectable combination of spicy, sour and sweet, this dish is so traditional that you would hardly find them in hotels and restaurants anywhere.

Gojju Avalakki / HuLi Avalakki

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Beaten rice (called as flattened rice / avalakki / poha – thick variety)
1 tbsp. Thick tamarind pulp
2 tsp. Sambhar powder
1 tbsp. Grated Jaggery
1 tsp. Turmeric Powder
½ cup Grated Coconut
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. Coconut Oil (highly recommended)
1 tsp. Mustard seeds
2 Broken Dry red chillies
1 tbsp. Groundnuts
A Sprig of Curry leaves
A pinch Asafoetida / Hing

DIRECTIONS

Wash the beaten rice / avalakki in a couple of washes of water. Drain off the water and allow the beaten rice to absorb little water retained during washing. It should swell and soften in 15 minutes, yet maintain it's shape and texture. Once softened, add a tsp. of coconut oil (optional, but helps in keeping the avalakki separate), salt to taste and a pinch of turmeric.

As the rice soaks, prepare the gojju / huLi masala for the avalakki. In a small chutney grinder, finely pulse the fresh grated coconut along with thick tamarind pulp, sambhar powder and grated jaggery. Do not add any additional water while grinding. Set aside.

For seasoning, heat a tbsp. of coconut oil in a thick bottomed pan and add mustard seeds. As they begin to crackle add the peanuts. Fry them for few minutes till the peanuts change their color. Add the red chillies, asafoetida / hing powder and fresh curry leaves. Fry further for few seconds. Next add the avalakki to this and mix well. Add in the prepared gojju / huLi masala to the avalakki and gently stir the entire mixture further for a few minutes. You may cover and cook also. However, I like to cook open to ensure there is no excess water trapped that may make the avalakki soggy. When cooked, turn off the fire and serve hot. Gojju Avalakki goes well with yoghurt/curd, chutney powder or plain jaggery.