Adai dosa recipe | how to make south indian adai dosai 

To soak:

• 1 cup rice 
• ¼ cup toor dal
• ¼ cup chana dal
• 1/4 cup urad dal
• 1/4 cup moong dal
• 1 tablespoon methi / fenugreek seeds

You may also soak and add any legumes like green gram ( hesaru kalu ) matki kalu etc to make it more nutritious.

Other ingredients:

• 5 dried kashmiri red chilli
• 5 green chillies
• 2 onion - finely chopped
• coriander - finely chopped
• Methi leaves - finely chopped ( optional )
• Curry leaves, roughly chopped
• ½ tsp ginger paste
• 1 tablespoon cumin / jeera
• 1 tsp hing / asafoetida
• Salt to taste
• oil for roasting

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak all the ingredients listed in soaking for 5 hours. You may soak them late in the night.
2. In the morning grind all the soaked legumes along with green and red chillies and jeera to slightly coarse paste adding water as required.
3. Now transfer the batter into large mixing bowl.
4. In a pan heat oil, lightly saute onion, hing, methi leaves, coriander and curry leaves and ginger. Add this to the grounded batter and mix well making sure everything is combined well, add water if required.
5. Heat the tava and pour a ladleful of batter onto a hot tawa and spread gently. It will be thick like utthapam.
6. Pour a tsp of oil over adai and cook on low to medium flame.
7. Now flip the adai and cook both sides by pressing gently.
8. Serve the adai dosa with green chutney or coconut chutney.

Healthy green salad in two minutes - Weight loss spinach salad recipe

Healthy green salad in two minutes - Weight loss spinach salad recipe

Ingredients :

• Fresh finely chopped spinach 2 cups
• Fresh finely chopped cucumber 2 cups
• Fresh finely chopped coriander leaves - a few

For dressing :

• Menthe hittu ( check here for the recipe )
• Chutney pudi ( check here for the yummy chutney pudi recipe )
• Olive oil or Rice bran oil or groundnut oil 1 tablespoon
• Salt to taste

Procedure :

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl and enjoy!!!

Tomato Thokku recipe | Thakkali thokku | Spicy tangy Tomato pickle recipe in Kannada

 

chitrannaa.blogspot.com

Tomato Thokku recipe | Thakkali thokku | Spicy tangy Tomato pickle recipe in Kannada

Ingredients :

• Ripe tomatoes     10-15
• Tamarind  100 gm
• Jaggery     100 gm
• Red chilli powder 1 cup
• Turmeric powder 1/2 tablespoon
• Asafoetida 1/2 teaspoon
• Jeera 1 teaspoon
• Red chillies 5-6
• Roasted mustard powder 1 tablespoon
• Roasted methi powder 3/4 tablespoon

• Curry leaves 
• Cooking oil 1 1/2 cup
• Salt to taste

Recipe video :

Procedure :

• Wash and pat dry the tomatoes completely. See that there is absolutely no water or wetness.
• In a thick bottomed kadai, dry roast the mustard seeds and methi seeds separately.
• Let them cool and grind to fine powder.
• Chop the tomatoes.
• Heat half of the oil in a thick bottomed kadai.
• Add tomatoes and cook them in low heat.
• When the tomatoes start turning soft, add tamarind and continue to cook.
• Keep stirring and cook till the tomatoes become soft and mushy and the oil separates.
• Let it cool completely.
• Once it cools down, grind it into fine paste and remove to a bowl.
• To this paste add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ground  methi and mustard powder.
• Add salt and mix everything well.
• Again heat a thick bottomed kadai.
• Add the remaining cooking oil.
• Add mustard seeds.
• Once they splutter, add jeera and asafoetida.
• Add dry red chillies and curry leaves.
• Lower the heat and add the tomato paste.
• Add jaggery and mix well.
• Now cook for another 5 to 6 minutes over low heat.
• Once the Thokku turns aromatic, switch off the heat.
• Once it cools down, store it in an airtight jar.
• It lasts for almost a month in refrigerator or upto week otherwise.
• Enjoy with piping hot rice and ghee, with curd rice or with chapati, dosa and rotis.

Handle every situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, just pee on it and walk away.

Riiiiinnnngggg....

When the doorbell of our new apartment to which we had shifted just two days ago rang, I rushed outside to check, wondering who it could be. We are slowly adjusting to the community living in an apartment building, after living in independent house all these years.

That was our neighbour from the upstairs building, looking a bit disturbed and as soon as he saw me, he started complaining.

" Madam, please look in the lift, your dog has pooped in there, it's all so messy and disgusting.

I could not believe what I heard. As a dog mother of ten years, I know that my Pogo would never do it.

I tried to convince him saying that our helper had walked it in the morning and it would never do such things but in vain.

He insisted that he checked with the other dog owner in the building and that he had been informed that their dog had never left home.

I apologized, for no fault of mine or my Pogo, and promised him to clean it. But he insisted that I myself come out and see how messy and disgusting the lift has become.

Embarrassed to the core, I went and peeped into the lift, and " all the mess and disgusting thing " I could see was a spot of poop on the lift floor.

I once again apologized profusely and assured him that I would clean it right away.

When I narrated the incident to my husband Prakash, he was not at all willing to buy the allegation and insisted that it can't be our Pogo, a ten year well trained dog. But since I had no other option, I offered to clean it up and ventured out. 

As I opened the lift and entered inside, I took a good look. Then I stared. Again I peeped down. Then sat down there and couldn't control my laugh. Sitting on the lift floor was a brown, greenish dry leaf!

I took the leaf and carried it to our neighbour and showed him the "messy disgusting" thing.

You should have seen his face!!!

Now it was his turn to apologize profusely. I came home laughing, telling Prakash about our neighbour's faux pas.

But sitting there in the balcony with a serious offended face was our Pogo. He was not at all amused by these false allegations.

He is thinking of visiting his attorney to file a defamation suit!!!

Garlic chutney powder | Bellulli chutney pudi | ಇಡ್ಲಿ, ದೋಸೆ, ಚಪಾತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಅನ್ನದ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ತಿನ್ನಲು ಐದೇ ನಿಮಿಷದಲ್ಲಿ ರುಚಿಯಾದ ಚಟ್ನಿ ಪುಡಿ ಮಾಡಿ

Garlic chutney powder | Bellulli chutney pudi | ಇಡ್ಲಿ, ದೋಸೆ, ಚಪಾತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಅನ್ನದ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ತಿನ್ನಲು ಐದೇ ನಿಮಿಷದಲ್ಲಿ ರುಚಿಯಾದ ಚಟ್ನಿ ಪುಡಿ ಮಾಡಿ

Ingredients :

• Roasted gram          - ಹುರಿಗಡಲೆ 1 cup
• Grated dry coconut - ಒಣ ಕೊಬ್ಬರಿ ತುರಿ 1 cup
• Tamarind                  - ಹುಣಸೇ ಹಣ್ಣು 1 lemon size
• Jaggery                     - ಬೆಲ್ಲ 1 lemon size
• Red chilli powder    - ಬ್ಯಾಡಗಿ ಖಾರದ ಪುಡಿ 2 tablespoon
• Garlic cloves            - ಬೆಳ್ಳುಳ್ಳಿ ಎಸಳು 8-10
• Salt to taste

Recipe video :

Procedure : 

• Heat a kadai and dry roast the grated coconut. Set aside.
• In the kadai fry the garlic cloves with a spoon of cooking oil till golden brown.
• Next dry heat the tamarind.
• In a mixing jar, mix all the ingredients with these roasted ingredients and grind to fine powder.
• Your yummy and delicious chutney powder is ready to eat in just ten minutes.
• 
  
• PS : If you don't like the garlic taste, you can avoid adding them.
• 
  
• Enjoy with idlis, dosas and chapatis.

Dhapate - Authentic Maharashtrian Thalipeeth | ಉತ್ತರ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಸ್ಪೆಷಲ್ ಮಸಾಲ ರೊಟ್ಟಿ ತುಂಬಾ ರುಚಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಆರೋಗ್ಯಕರ ತಿಂಡಿ

Dhapate - Authentic Maharashtrian Thalipeeth | ಉತ್ತರ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಸ್ಪೆಷಲ್ ಮಸಾಲ ರೊಟ್ಟಿ ತುಂಬಾ ರುಚಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಆರೋಗ್ಯಕರ ತಿಂಡಿ

Ingredients :

• Jowar flour      1 big cup
• Besan flour      1/4 big cup
• Jeera 1 tablespoon
• Ajwain seeds 1 tablespoon
• Hing powder 1/2 teaspoon
• Nylon Sesame seeds 1 tablespoon
• Grated fresh coconut 1/4 cup
• Cooking oil
• Salt to taste
• 
  
• Grated carrot 1/2 cup
• Finely chopped onion 1/2 cup
• Finely chopped Dil leaves 1/2 cup
• Finely chopped coriander leaves 1/2 cup
• Green chilli paste 1 tablespoon

Recipe video :

Procedure :

• In a bowl add all the dry ingredients.
• Next mix all the finely chopped vegetables and chilli paste.
• Mix everything well.
• Add a little hot water and knead the batter well.
• Make small balls with the batter.
• Heat tawa.
• On a obbattu paper or normal white paper apply oil and spread evenly.
• Put a dough ball on the paper and apply oil on both sides.
• Now press the ball into a thin round dhapate.
• Apply oil to the tawa.
• Lift the paper with the dhapate and put it on the tawa with the paper on the upside.
• After a minute or two slowly lift the paper.
• Apply oil on the dhapate.
• Cook on the both sides to golden brown.
• Serve hot with butter.

Karishma - Don't worry be Happy | This too shall pass - episode 2

Karishma

Don't worry be Happy | This too shall pass - episode 2

" Amma Namaste ", as I opened the door, little Karishma wished me in a polite yet confident voice, looking straight into my eyes. I smiled at the little daughter of Manju, wife of Shankar who is a caretaker in the next door apartment building.

Manju comes home to help on some days when my regular maid can't come because of the lockdown restrictions. On some odd days, Karishma, her two year old daughter accompanies her.

I always marvel at the way Manju has brought up her little daughter. Though she stays at home with her mom and yet to be admitted to a school, the little girl is always well poised, polite yet confident, bold and articulate. When she answers the phone call on her mom's behalf, one can't believe that one is talking to a tiny toddler.

Karishma sat on the corner of my sofa as Manju got busy with her work and I opened the fridge to select vegetables. My eyes fell on the laddu I had kept on my dining table and handed it over to Karishma.

Karishma's eyes brightened looking at the laddu and she ran to her mom. I overheard Manju chiding her to eat it only after going home and not to spill it anywhere and " Amma ko pareshan mat karo ". ( Don't trouble Amma )

I stopped in my track when I heard Karishma's reply. She said " Amma ko pareshan karoongi toh woh naraj ho jayegi na?

Tab woh hame kam nahi degi na?

Toh phir hame paisa nahi milegi ma.

Aur hamen khaneko kuch nahi melega......"

Seriously?????

Those were heart wrenching words and I could not control my tears. No doubt in their little harsh world it may be partially true and to discipline the child it might have been warned on those lines.

But imagine a two year old being bogged with such harsh cruelties of life. And here we are, bothered that we may not get the slot on Big Basket or may have to miss eating our favourite mangoes this season.

It is high time we stopped sulking, being pessimistic and complaining about the present day situations. Those of us who are sitting at home and assured of having enough stock of provisions and vegetables at home, with having swiggy and Dunzo at our fingertips, with the confidence that our near and dear ones are sitting safely in their homes cannot possibly imagine what thousands of less fortunate souls are suffering either because of Covid or worried if they would be able to get their next meals.

So friends, cheer up. Extend help to those who are in need in any and every possible way and stay calm, stay home and stay safe.

This too shall pass.....

This too shall pass.... Episode 1 - Parijatha

This too shall pass....

chitrannaa.blogspot.com

Episode 1 - Parijatha

I love plants. Period. Anyone who has read my blog and watched my YouTube videos or has been my friend on Facebook or just interacted with me knows that gardening is my passion.

I am having around a hundred pots and plants in my terrace garden and an array of plants and creepers in my front yard filled with beautiful colourful flowers.

Every little shoot, sprout and bud in my garden lifts my spirits and fills my heart with joy. If there is anything or anyone very close to

my heart in my life after my children, it is these little babies who are my extended family members.

However tiny little a flower or leaf may be, I love and care for them when they take birth, feel proud when they grow and flower and feel sad when a leaf withers or a little stem breaks or bends. Nothing escapes my eyes and my mind.

This is the beautiful Parijatha plant in my front yard and she came home around five years ago. I put her first in my terrace pot because she was small and needed all the sunshine to grow.

Once she grew up and started flowering, I decided to bring her down to the mud and soil and earth so that she can grow further and fill my little aangan with tiny white and orange Parijatha flowers and their devine scent would fill my home and my rooms.

I transplanted her from my terrace pot to the little elevated place in front of my home so that she can spread her branches in the sun and grow well.

True to my belief and her spirits, she grew beautifully, spread her little slim branches and was dancing and smiling in the sun.

Until last week.

As I mentioned, I keep a watch on each and every plant and leaf. One day last week suddenly I looked out of my window and was shocked to see her dull leaves. I ran outside and checked. There was no problem with the water, sun, mud or soil. But day by day, each day, the leaves started drying up right in front of my eyes and I kept looking at her helplessly, not knowing what was the cause of her misery. Finally my dear Parijatha was no more. All her leaves were looking dry like they were burnt.

Today as I sat looking at her sadly, my eyes fell on a little bottle kept on the soil by my servant. Suddenly it all fell into place. It was a bottle filled with some sanitiser liquid kept by my maid. God only knows what chemical it contained. When I lifted that bottle there was a tiny little crack in the bottom and the droplets from that bottle must have seeped into the soil at my Parijatha's roots and must have burnt her. 

I should have checked. I should have saved my Parijatha. With this lockdown, with this fear to come out of home, I have lost my dear baby. I sat there numb with shock and sadness for having lost her, my heart feeling heavy with grief.

But still I am thankful for just a little ray of hope, of positivity. Just by her side, I have two big creepers of Jasmine, Jaaji flowers which are budding with fresh leaves and beautiful fragrant flowers. I should thank God that I found the culprit hopefully before it is too late and I should be able to save all my other babies.

And to replace my lost Parijatha, I have a new baby Parijatha plant which has grown about four feet tall in my terrace and hopefully she will soon grow and take the place of pride again in my front yard and fill my home and my rooms with her fragrant flowers.

Amen.

Immunity booster homemade herbal drink | Butterfly pea flower tea | Aparajita flower blue and purple kashaya

Immunity booster homemade herbal drink | Butterfly pea flower tea | Aparajita flower blue and purple kashaya

The health benefits of Shanku Pushpa according to Ayurveda :

* Shankhpushpi is an Ayurvedic medicine and all the parts of the plants like leaves, flowers, roots have health benefits.

* It's tea is very effective to improve memory and intelligence. 

* It is useful in cold, cough and headaches.

* It has anti-ageing properties and it improves life longevity. 

* It will also help in improving the skin quality and the overall strength. 

* It is very effective in getting good sleep and relieves anxiety and depression.

* In this tea, we are adding ginger, pepper and cinnamon powder along with honey.

Benefits of ginger in fighting covid 19 by building our Immunity :

* Ginger is supposed to cure lung infections including cold and cough and helps in boosting the immunity.

* Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties that helps in removing toxins from the respiratory tract. 

Cinnamon powder :

* According to reports, one of the important components of Cinnamon i.e. Cinnamaldehyde may help fight various kinds of infection.This aromatic spice is a rich source of antioxidants which helps in giving a boost to your immunity system. 

Pepper powder :

* Piperine, an alkaloid present in pepper, could bind to novel coronavirus proteins and stop it from entering human cells, says IIT (ISM) study.

Lemon :

* Lemons are rich in Vitamin C, a natural antioxidant that improves the immune system.

Honey :

* It has also been found that honey and its main ingredients can be effective against infectious diseases. There is strong evidence that honey with potential anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities can be effective in various ways against viral infectious diseases and also helps to strengthen the immune system.

Ingredients :

• Shanku Pushpa - Aparajita flowers 8-10
• Dry Ginger powder 1/2 teaspoon
• Pepper powder 1/2 teaspoon
• Cinnamon powder 1/2 teaspoon
• Honey 1 tablespoon
• Lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon

Recipe video :

Procedure :

• Pick and wash 8 to 10 fresh Shanku Pushpa flowers.
• Heat water in a vessel.
• When the water starts boiling put in the flowers and boil for five minutes.
• Next add cinnamon powder, pepper powder and dry ginger powder and boil for another five minutes.
• Switch off the heat and add the honey.
• Pour in the glass.
• You may drink it directly or to add some zest and also vitamin C, add half a teaspoon of lemon juice. Now the juice changes colour from blue to purple. 
• If you add jaggery, the juice will change the colour to green.

ಜೋಳ ತಿನ್ಬೇಕು ಆದ್ರೆ ಜೋಳದ ರೊಟ್ಟಿ ಮಾಡಕ್ಕೆ ಬರಲ್ವಾ. ಸೂಪರ್ healthy Jowar millet masala dosa recipe ಇಲ್ಲಿದೆ

Jowar millet masala dosa - Sorghum masala dosa - ಜೋಳದ ಮಸಾಲೆ ದೋಸೆ

Ingredients :

• Jowar ( bili jola ) 1 cup
• Urad dal 1/2 cup
• Channa dal 1 tablespoon
• Tur dal 1 tablespoon
• Methi seeds 1 tablespoon
• Sun premium oil for cooking
• Salt to taste

Video recipe :

Procedure :

• Wash and soak 1 cup jowar for 12 hours.
• Separately wash and soak 1/2 cup urad dal, 1 tablespoon channa dal, 1 tablespoon tur dal and 1 tablespoon methi seeds for 12 hours.
• Grind everything to a fine batter.
• Set it aside to ferment overnight for 12 hours.
• In the morning mix the batter, add the required quantity of salt and water.
• The batter should be of normal dosa consistency.
• Heat tava.
• Spread the batter thinly on the tava. 
• Lower the gas heat and cook on a low flame.
• Sprinkle cooking oil over it and at the edges.
• The Dosa is slowly getting roasted.
• Spread red coconut chutney at the center.
• Put in a spoon of potato onion sabzi at the center.
• As the dosa turns crispy and golden brown, fold the dosa and serve hot with a dash of butter.

For the calorie conscious :

• The procedure to make it a low cal dosa is almost the same.
• You can avoid putting oil and butter. The dosa still turns out to be crispy and yummy.
• Enjoy!!!