Eat what you grow - Grow what you eat

You will feel healthy when you know that the food on your plate is grown by your own hands.

Absolutely no chemicals and no artificial flavors.

Your menu for the day is decided by your plants. 

Ridge gourd and other veggies sambar

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Amaranthus - Dantina Soppu and Spinach harvested today.

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Ridge gourd peel Chutney

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Amaranth seeds getting ready for the next batch of sowing.

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I would be busy, would be tired, but still when my plants keep calling, I can't resist. And then once I go upstairs thinking that it would be just a fleeting visit, but I always end up spending hours there.


They would be smiling at me offering fragrant flowers with heavenly scents, vying with each other to catch my attention, nodding happily when a caress them...

Nothing beats the happiness you feel when you are in the company of the plants and fauna. 💕💕

It takes just a few pots and a few minutes' work a day to eat your home grown greens at least once a week.


Have you started growing your own veggies yet???

Karigadabu | Masti Kadubu | Bele Hooranada Kadubu - Karjikai | kajjikayulu | sweet samosa | gujiya recipe

Preparation Time  : 30 Minutes
Cooking Time       : 10 Minutes

Ingredients :

• Chana dal                  4 cups
• Tur dal                      1/4 cup
• Pounded jaggery        4 1/4 cups
• Elahchi powder           1 tablespoon
• Atta                          4 cups
• Chiroti rava               1/4 cup
• Ghee                        2 tablespoon
• Salt                          1/2 teaspoon
• Groundnut oil for frying

Recipe video :

Ingredients :

• Chana dal                  4 cups
• Tur dal                      1/4 cup
• Pounded jaggery        4 1/4 cups
• Elahchi powder          1 tablespoon
• Atta                          4 cups
• Chiroti rava               1/4 cup
• Ghee                        2 tablespoon
• Salt                          1/2 teaspoon
• Groundnut oil for frying

Procedure :

• Mix the atta with a spoonful of groundnut oil and a pint of salt, knead well and let it rest for 15 minutes.
• Cook the Chana dal and Tur dal with lots of water up to 5 whistles so that the daals are cooked soft.
• Once the cooker is cooled down, drain the water from the daals and set aside to prepare hoorana kattu Saaru.
• In a thick bottomed kadai, heat the ghee.
• Pour in the jaggery powder, cooked dals and elaichi powder and mix well.
• Keep stirring the hoorana.
• As you keep stirring and it gets cooked, the hoorana gets thick.
• Once it turns fully thick, switch off the gas and let it cool.
• Once the hoorana is cold, grind it into a fine paste.
• Make small balls from the hoorana.

• Roll the atta into small pooris.
• In the kadubu maker, place a poori, on that a ball of hoorana and press well.
• Please watch the video to see how it's done.
• Take out the pressed kadubu and set aside.
• Press all the kadubus like this.
• Take care to see that the edges are pressed properly otherwise while frying the hoorana may come out and spoil the oil and also the kadubu will lose its sweetness.
• Now heat the groundnut oil in a thick bottomed kadai.
• Once the oil heats up, fry the kadubus on medium heat till golden brown.
• Enjoy the hot kadubus with dollops of ghee.

PS : When we were young, our grandpa used to advise that we should eat karigadubu "hettuppa", meaning with unmelted desi ghee. This way we can accommodate more ghee!
Till this day I studiously follow his advice!!!


Some people add pieces of dry fruits, coconuts and rock sugar in the horana of Masti Kadubu.
But I personally prefer not to add any of them because I don't like the hard ingredients in the kadubu and spoil the fun of soft, melting in your mouth hoorana!


Check our other delicious sweet recipes here :

Sajjige Holige - Sheera Puran Poli

Kajjaya - Atirasa - Anarasa

Hurigadale ( puthani) Karadantu North Karnataka style

Godhi hittina tambittu

Fried gram laddu and sesame seed laddu - Nagara Panchami sweets

Delicious Sweet - Maladi - with your left over chapatis and Rotis

Besan laddu

7 Cup Burfi

Bele Obbattu - Puran Poli

Amla Murabba - Nellikai Gulamba

Appekai ( Raw mango ) Saaru

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This is the most delicious and healthy rasam or Sambar which is savoured during the mango season in summer. The raw mango which is very rich in vitamin A and vitamin E prevents the excessive loss of water from the body and also helps to quench the thirst.

Basically this Saaru is prepared with midigai but tastes equally good with any raw mango.



Preparation Time : 5 Minutes
Cooking Time       : 15 Minutes






Ingredients :

• Raw Mango                 1 big
• Slit green chillies        4-5
• Jaggery powder          1 tablespoon
• Groundnut oil                 1 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds                1/4 teaspoon
• Jeera                             1/4 teaspoon
• Asafoetida one pint
• Coriander leaves
• Curry leaves
• Salt to taste

Note : The quantity of the jaggery and chillies depends upon the sourness of mango.


Procedure :

• Peel the skin of the mango.
• Boil 8 cups of water.
• While the water is boiling add the mango. You can directly put in whole mango, or make pieces and boil or else grate it and boil. Finally we need to squeeze the pulp from the mango.
• Also add 3 to 4 slit chillies, coriander leaves and curry leaves and salt.
• After boiling for about 5 to 10 minutes when the mango is fully cooked, switch off the gas.
• Add the jaggery powder and mix well.
• Once it cools down mash and squeeze the pulp from the mango and mix well with the water.
• Adjust the salt and the sweetness.
• Sieve the juice to another vessel.
• In a kadai, heat a teaspoon of groundnut oil, add mustard seeds, jeera and asafoetida.
• Add a few curry leaves.
• Mix to the Saaru and garnish with coriander leaves.
• Enjoy hot and refreshing appemidi Saaru.

Please check our other delicious and yummy juices :

Banana Mango Tango

Aam panna - Raw mango juice - Mavinakayi Bisi Panaka

Aam panna - Raw mango juice - Mavinakai Bisi Panaka

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This healthy, tasty and refreshing raw mango juice was the favorite of my father. Back then we used to call it mavinakayi bisi panaka and now a days it is popularly known with a fancy name as Aam panna and even being sold in cartons.

So here goes the recipe...

Preparation Time 5 Minutes
Cooking Time 10 Minutes

Ingredients :

• Raw mango 1
• Jaggery        1 cup - the quantity of the jaggery depends upon the sourness of the mango.
• Elaichi powder 2 teaspoon
• Salt a pint

• Chaat masala, Pepper powder and mint leaves - optional

Procedure :

• In a vessel boil 4 cups of water.
• When the water is boiling put in the raw mango and let it continue to boil till the mango is fully cooked.
• Let it cool.
• Once the mango is cooled down, remove the skin and take out the pulp.
• Grind the mango pulp to nice paste.
• To this mango pulp, add the jaggery, a pint of salt and heat till the jaggery melts completely.
• Adjust the water and the jaggery till the juice tastes perfectly sweet and tangy.
• Add the elaichi powder and mix well.
• It can be relished as a hot juice or can be refrigerated and enjoyed as a cool drink.
• If you prefer you may season it with chaat masala or pepper powder or mint leaves.

Please check our other delicious and yummy juices :

Banana Mango Tango

Mango Bhel Puri Chat

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Preparation time 30 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients :

For Sour/hot/meetha Chatni :

Jaggery 1 cup
Thick tamarind juice 1 cup
Green chillies 4-6 depends on your taste
Black pepper 10-15
Jeera 1 tablespoon
Pudina - mint leaves a handful

Salt to taste





Vegetables:


Nicely chopped totapuri mango pieces 1 cup
Finely chopped onions 1 cup
Grated carrots 1 cup
Finely chopped cucumber 1 cup
Nicely cut tomatoes 1/2 cup
Finely chopped coriander 1/2 cup

Savouries :




Nippattu 4
Congress kadale beeja 1 cup
Ompudi ( thin sev) 1 cup
Chow chow mixture. 1 cup

Puffed rice - Bangalore Puri 2 liters




Preparation :




Grind all the ingredients of the meetha into nice thick chutney.

Note : Instead of mixing entire bhel puri in one stroke, you can add in installments as and when required so that it tastes fresh and crunchy.

In a big bowl put in 2 tablespoons of meetha, a pinch of salt, a handful of all the nicely chopped vegetables and mix well.
Now mix crushed nippattu, Congress and chow chow and mix again.
Then add the kadlepuri and mix lightly.
Serve on the plate and garnish with ompudi and finely chopped coriander.

Please check our other yummy snacks and chaats recipes here :

Bhelpuri

MASALA PURI

TIKKI PURI

DAHI PURI

PANI PURI

CORN TIKKI

Corn Papad Cone Chaat

Mango Chaat

Mango Chaat

chitrannaa.blogspot.com 

Preparation Time 15 Minutes

Ingredients :

• Boiled sweet corn 1 cup
• Kadle Puri ( Bangalore Puri ) 2 cups
• Sev 1 cup
• Red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon
• Chat masala 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

• Totapuri mango finely chopped pieces 1 cup
• Nicely chopped onion 1
• Nicely grated carrot 1
• Finely chopped coriander 1 tablespoon

Procedure :

• In a bowl add all the above veggies with salt, red chilli powder and chat masala and mix well.
• Then mix the boiled sweet corn.
• Finally add the Kadle Puri and mix lightly.
• Serve fresh, garnished with sev and chopped coriander leaves.

• PS : Instead of sweet corn you can also use boiled groundnuts.

Please check our other yummy snacks and chaats recipes here :

Bhelpuri

MASALA PURI

TIKKI PURI

DAHI PURI

PANI PURI

CORN TIKKI

Corn Papad Cone Chaat

Mavinakai Oralu Chitranna

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Preparation Time  30 minutes

Cooking Time        30 minutes






Ingredients :

• Rice                                 2 cups
• Grated raw mango            1 cup
• Grated coconut                 1/2 cup
• Sesame seeds                  1 tablespoon
•  teaspoon
• Grounded Jaggery            1 tablespoon
• ( Adjust the jaggery and mango depending upon the sourness of the mangoes )
• Byadagi menasinakai       10-15
• Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

• Groundnut oil                     1 tablespoon
• Mustard seeds                    1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder                1/2 teaspoon 
• Asafoetida/hing                  1/4 teaspoon
• Channa dal                        2 teaspoon
• Urad dal                            2 teaspoon
• Broken red chilli  pieces      2 chillies
• Groundnuts                       1 tablespoon
• Curry leaves                      10-15
• Coriander leaves a few

Preparation :

• Cook the rice and let it cool.
• Dry roast the sesame seeds.
• Roast the red chillies with a teaspoon of groundnut oil.
• Grind the mango, coconut, sesame seeds, red chillies and jaggery to a coarse consistency without adding water.
• In a thick bottomed kadai, heat the groundnut oil.
• When it's heated, add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
• Put in the asafoetida.
• Then add groundnut seeds and urad dal and saute till they turn golden brown.
• Next add broken red chillies and curry leaves.
• And then add the mango masala prepared and saute over low heat till oil separates and the mixture turns auromatic.
• Next add the rice and salt and mix well.
• Cover and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

You may also check our other delicious bhaaths and Pulav recipes :

Khara Pongal

Vegetable Biriyani

Bisibele Bhath

Corn Pulav

Avarekaalu and Menthe Soppina Pulav

Vegetable Fried Rice

crispy corn recipe | crispy fried corn | crispy corn kernels | Crispy Corn - Restaurant style

Preparation time 30 minutes 

cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients : 

• American sweet corn 2 cups
• Corn flour                      1 cup
• Rice flour                       1 cup
• Pepper powder             1 tablespoon
• Chilli powder                 1 tablespoon
• Groundnut oil                4 cups
• Salt to taste

RECIPE VIDEO :

• Julienned capsicum           2
• Finely chopped coriander   1 cup
• Curry leaves                     1 cup
• Chilli paste                       1 tablespoon
• Tomato sauce                   1 tablespoon
• Finely chopped Garlic        1 tablespoon
• Finely chopped ginger       1 tablespoon
• Butter                              1 tablespoon

Procedure :

• In boiling water cook sweet corn for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain them and set aside.
• In a thick bottomed kadai heat a tablespoon of groundnut oil. 
• Fry the julienned capsicum and curry leaves for 2-3 minutes.
• Drain them and set aside.
• Sprinkle corn flour and rice flour on the cooked corn and mix lightly.
• Now add pepper powder, red chilli powder and salt and mix well.
• The flour and the masala should properly coat the corn. 
• In a thick bottomed kadai heat groundnut oil.
• Put the coated corn in a ladle, put inside the oil and deep fry till golden brown.
• Initially fry over lower heat as the corns will splutter. Once they are lightly fried, increase the heat.
• Drain them and put on a paper towel. Like this fry all the corns.
• In a thick bottomed kadai heat butter.
• When it melts add finely chopped garlic, ginger and chillie paste and chopped coriander and saute for a minute.
• Next add the tomoto sauce and the fried capsicum and curry leaves and mix well.
• Add salt and pepper powder and saute for a minute.
• Finally add the fried corns and mix well.
• Serve hot with tomoto sauce.

The crispy corns can also be relished without adding any veggies or sauce. They taste super yummy with their crunchiness.

Please check our other yummy snacks and chats recipes here :

Corn Papad Cone Chat

Bhelpuri

MASALA PURI

TIKKI PURI

DAHI PURI

PANI PURI

CORN TIKKI

Vegetable Fried Rice | Veg fried rice | Chinese fried rice

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Preparation Time        20 Minutes
Cooking Time             20 Minutes

Recipe video :

Ingredients :

• Basmati or jeera rice 2 cups
• Ghee 1 tablespoon
• Butter 2 tablespoon
• Groundnut oil 1 tablespoon
• Pepper powder 1/2 tablespoon
• Garlic Ginger paste 1 tablespoon
• Chilli sauce 1 tablespoon
• Soya sauce 1 tablespoon
• Tomato sauce 1 tablespoon

• Finely chopped onion 1 cup
• Nicely diced carrots 1 cup
• Nicely diced capsicum 1 cup
• Finely chopped spring onion ( optional ) 1 cup
• Salt to taste

Procedure :

• Wash and soak rice for half an hour.
• Cook 1 measure rice with 1 1/2 measure water. Here I have taken 2 cups of rice, so I have added 3 cups of hot water and cooked the rice with a spoonful of ghee so that the rice is cooked with the grains soft yet nicely separated.
• Put the cooked rice in a wide vessel to cool and let the grains get separated.

• Take carrot and capsicum pieces in two separate bowls.
• Boil water and pour it on these veggies, add a teaspoon of salt and cover with a lid.
• After 2-3 minutes, drain the water and hold the vegetables under running water to stop them from cooking further and getting soft. By this way and because the salt is added, the vegetables retain their colour and the crunchiness.

• In a thick bottomed kadai, heat groundnut oil and butter.
• Once it melts add garlic ginger paste and saute for a minute.
• Next add onions and spring onions and saute till onions turn golden brown.
• After that add soya sauce, chilli sauce and tomoto sauce and mix well.
• Then add pepper powder and salt.
• Finally add the cooked rice and mix lightly, taking care not to break the grains.
• Serve hot with tomoto sauce.

You may also check our other delicious bhaaths and Pulav recipes :

Khara Pongal

Vegetable Biriyani

Bisibele Bhath

Corn Pulav

Avarekaalu and Menthe Soppina Pulav

Akki Peni Sandige Recipe - Rice idiyappam Fryums | Pheni - Shavige Sandige - Rice Fryums

Ingredients :

Rice 250 grams or 2 big cups

Asafoetida 1 teaspoon

Groundnut oil 1 tablespoon

Salt to taste

RECIPE VIDEO 

Procedure :

Here I am sharing the age old traditional method which makes yummy Sandige. It can be made directly with rice flour but the taste differs. Choice is yours!

• Wash and soak the rice in the night.
• Next night remove the water, wash the rice and soak again in fresh water.
• Repeat this procedure on the second night also.
• On the third night drain the water and grind the rice to a fine paste and let it rest overnight.
• In the morning, drain out the top water.
• Measure the rice batter and add one and a half measure water. That is for one measure of batter add one and a half measures of water.
• Mix thoroughly taking care to see that there are no lumps in the batter.
• Smear the groundnut oil to a thick bottomed kadai.
• Pour the batter to this kadai, add asafoetida and salt and keep it on the gas stove to cook.
• Keep stirring continuously to see that no lumps are formed and the batter is cooked evenly.
• Within a few minutes the batter starts to thicken.
• Keep stirring it till the batter is fully cooked and becomes very thick. Please watch the video to get a clear idea.
• Now switch off the gas and shift the batter to a vessel.
• You can put the Pheni on a thick plastic cover spread on the terrace or in steel plates.
• If you are putting in a steel plate, smear a layer of groundnut oil to the plate.
• Make balls from the thick batter and keep them ready. It helps to put the sandiges quickly.
• Now grease the inside of the chakli maker.
• Take a ball of the batter, place it inside the chakli maker and press the phenis.
  
• Like this put all the sandiges.

• By the way the hot Sandige hittu tastes yummy. In fact on so many days we make the Sandige hittu with normal rice flour just to eat!
• It tastes exceptional when it's hot, when it turns cold, when you pick a sandige and eat, when it's half dry, when it's fully dry and finally when it's fried!!! 

• In the evening reverse the sandiges. 
• Let them dry completely for another 2-3 days in the direct sun light.

• Deep fry the dried Sandiges. You can eat them along with the  meals or as evening snacks.

• Store the remaining Sandiges in an airtight jar which can be used throughout the year.

Check the recipes of some of our delicious snacks : 

Creamy Cheesey Pasta in White sauce

Kuttavalakki with Sandige

TENGOLU - The crispy tasty snacks from India

Snacks - Instant Delicious Chakli

Avalakki Chooda

Recipes for Kids

And here are the recipes for different types of Sandige :

Gulabi Sandige 

Aralu Sandige - Puffed Paddy Fryums