Onion - Avalakki Uppugari

Avalakki Uppugari/Quick Avalakki is one of the very famous dish from Udupi and Dakshina Kannada region. Any time you can prepare this Avalakki and enjoy. 

I remember those days I spent in Udyavara near Udupi. My doddamma and doddappa had paddy field and they used to grow paddy, cow peas, horse gram, urid etc, etc,  etc. There were some workers staying in near by our house. My doddamma was  kind hearted woman who used to prepare breakfast for all the workers who come in the early morning for work. This Avalakki Uppugari is very famous and every one's favourite. My doddamma never used onions and instead of that she used to add more coconut. 

Avalakki Uppugari and a cup of Chai goes hand in hand at any time of the day.

Wherever you go or in many Konkani Hotels this type of Avalakki chat is available even now. (Even in small villages).

 I have used onions and little fried shavige (Sev). Thin Avalakki, coconut, jaggery and coconut oil's seasoning is added and that gives a yummy taste to Avalakki Uppugari.

Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Thin variety Avalakki : 2 Cups ( 2 Handful)

Coconut :  3 to 4 Tablespoons

Jaggery : 2 Teaspoons

Salt : A little ( As required )

Rasam Powder : 1 Teaspoon

Thin variety of Sev : 1/2 Cup/5 to 6 Tablespoons

Seasoning :

Coconut Oil : 2 Teaspoons

Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon

Mustard Seeds : 1 Teaspoon

Red chilly ( Byadagi ) : 1 

Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 or little more leaves 

Method :

1. Clean thin Avalakki/Poha/ Aval and keep it aside.

2.Grate fresh coconut and keep it aside.

3. Remove the outer layer of onion and cut into small pieces.

4. Take a big bowl, add grated coconut, cut onions, rasam powder, salt and jaggery. 

5. Mix all the ingredients and add avalakki and mix it well.

6. Keep a pan add coconut oil, mustard seeds and urid dal. Cut red chilly into 2 to pieces and add.

7. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add curry leaves and put off the fire.

8. Add this seasoning to ready Avalakki mixture. Mix it well nicely with hand.

9. Put it in a serving dish and add little Sev on the top and serve.

Note :

This Avalakki should be served as soon as you prepare it. Or it turns soft and onion added avalakki is not good for health. Adding onion is optional. It adds to the taste. Adding grated carrots is optional. I have not added. You should use fresh coconut. It adds to aroma and softens the avalakki. Adding Sev is optional. You can add roasted groundnuts. 

Time : 10 Minutes 

Serves : 2 to 3.

Rava Urid Dal Dosa

Rava Urid dal dosa is god to have for breakfast, snack time or even dinner. It is easy and even you can prepare it with out fermentation. 

Varieties of  dosas with same batter

 I have prepared dosa without fermenting the batter, adding little curd and prepared spicy dosa, as set dosa and even thin and crispy dosa. Varieties of dosas can be prepared with this Rava urid dal dosa batter.
Let us see some benefits of using Rava/rave/semolina in our diet. 
Rava/Sooji/Semolina is rich in calcium, phosphorus,  potassium, iron, zinc, carbohydrates and proteins. They do contain vitamins B and E. It helps to loose weight. It is filled with fiber and good for digestion and easy bowel movement. It is low in cholesterol and sodium and is called as balanced food. Rava is digested slowly and keeps you full for a long time. Rava is good for people who suffer from diabetics. They help in building strong immunity system in our body. They also good for healthy metabolism and healthy muscles, nerves and bones.
Let us see the recipe now:
As I said earlier you can prepare dosas immediately as soon as you grind, then ferment and then use the batter for set dosas, thin dosas and spicy dosas.

Ingredients :

Urid dal : 1 Cup
Rava : 3 to 3 1/2 Cups.
Salt : As required
Oil : 3 to 4 Tablespoons

Method : 

1.Wash and soak urid dal for 2 to 3 hours and then grind it with required water.

2. Remove it from the mixi jar to a big bowl.

3. Add a glass of water to rava and then mix it well. Add this wet rava to ground urid dal batter.
4. Add salt and mix it well.
5. Let it ferment for over night or 6 to 7 hours.

6. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put little on the tava and clean it with a kitchen tissue.

 7. Mix the ferment batter nicely and take a ladle of dosa batter and spread it on hot tava in a circle shape. (Let the flame be low while spreading dosa batter).

 8. Cover and cook for a minute. Sprinkle little oil on the top. Turn the other side and cook for 10 seconds.

9. Remove dosa from the pan and serve hot dosa with curry /chutney/pickle.

10.Repeat the same with remaining batter.
Crispy Dosa ( From the same batter)

Note :

Do not make the batter very  watery. The consistency of the batter should be normal dosa batter consistency.

Preparing spicy dosa :

Wash and cut coriander leaves, curry leaves and green chilly to dosa batter and prepare thick /set dosas.
Dosa with out fermenting the batter.
Mix dosa batter nicely and prepare dosas as normal dosa.

Preparing dosa with out fermenting the batter.

Crispy Chakkuli

Chakkuli /Cripsy Chakkuli/ Muruku/Chakli is loved by almost all people in the world. Crispy chakkulis are very good snack for all the age group. There are varieties of chakkuli available in the shops. But it is always better to eat home made food. Here is a Crispy Chakkuli tried by me. I am sure you all love to have it and do prepare and enjoy each bit of it.

I have used rice flour, thick variety of Avalakki/Aval/Poha and roasted chenna/Hurikadale/Pottu kadale.

Chakkulis are favourite of many and you can munch them at any time of the day. Good for kids snack box, travelling, ladies kitty party, festival or feast and any other type of parties to serve as starters.

We do love chakkuli and I always try different types of chakkuli recipes from different pages /groups whatsapp extra. This particular chakkuli recipe is from Indira Upadya's post in Healthy Home made food. The chakkulis were so inviting and it made me crave for chakkuli.  I did changes according to my taste and prepared chakkuli and they turned out crispy and crunch.We all loved it very much.

Let us see the recipe  :

Ingredients :

Rice flour : 2 1/2 to 3 cups.

Avalakki : Thick :  1 Cup

Roasted Chenna/Huri Kadale/ Pottu Kadale : 1/2 Cup

Butter : 1 to 1  1/2  Tablespoons

Sesame Seeds : 1 Tablespoon

Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon 

Chilly Powder : 1 Teaspoon

Salt :As required 

Water : As required 

Cooking Oil : 2 Cups

Method : 

1. Clean and dry grind Avalakki into powder form. 

2. Dry roast chenna slightly and dry grind it when it cools. Keep it aside. Dry roast rice flower for a minute and let it cool. 

3. Take a big bowl and put rice flour, powdered avalakki, powdered roasted chenna.

4. Add Butter, salt, chilly powder, sesame seeds and jeera/cumin seeds.

5. Mix all the ingredients nicely and then add required water slowly and prepare chakli dough. Kneed it the dough well. 

6. Kneed the dough nicely and divide the dough in to small portions.

7. Keep a frying pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and let it get heated. 

8. Take one portion of the chakkuli dough and fill in the chakkuli mould.

9. Press chakkuli on a plate or a wet towel. Put already pressed chakkuli in hot oil.

10. Let it fry on medium heat. Fry on both sides. Remove and put it on a kitchen towel/tissue.

11. Repeat the same and prepare rest of chakkuli.

12. Serve or eat whenever you feel like. Store it once it is cooled in a air tight box/bottle.

Note :

1. Dry grind avalakki into thin powder. Or it might stuck in the chakkuli plate while preparing chakkuli and is difficult to press chakkuli dough.

2. Avalakki absorbs water and the dough might turn hard. Take care of the dough and cover with wet clean towel. ( After preparing the dough). 

3. Kneed the dough well once again while inserting the dough into chakkuli mould. (It should be soft not watery). 

4. Fry chakkuli on medium heat. Fry nicely till they turn golden brown. Turn the other side and fry it. 

Adding more jeera/sesame seeds, chilly powder is optional. 

5. Adding more butter turns the dough very soft and it might absorb more oil. 

6. Try the small quantity first and then try the large quantity. ( Is always better to try small quantity).

7. Add more chilly powder makes the chakkuli very spicy. ( Not that good for kids and elders).

Time : 40 Minutes.

Serves : 25 to 30 Chakkulis can be prepared. (According to shape and size).

Boiled Rice - Raw Rice Dosa

Boiled rice and Raw rice Quick dosa is good to have for breakfast/snack. One more traditional dish from Udupi and Dakshina Kannada.

The rain fall is more in Karavali and the land is very good for growing paddy/rice in these areas. I have seen my aunt struggle to get workers to work in fields. It was really a struggle that she won't get people for working on time. Though there used be many workers they would flee to work in other fields. She has to plead them for coming to work in our field. Some time the rain used to play a big role. People there depend upon the rain for water supply to the field during the rainy season. Less rain means the plants dry and the more rain spoils and rotten the plants. The struggle behind the farmer is so much, at the end some or other things happen and the farmer is at the great loss.
Since my aunt used to grow paddy, we used to have home grown rice to have our food. Most of the dishes are prepared using rice. This is one of the famous and traditional dish that I learnt from my aunt.
Coming back to recipe I have used boiled rice, raw rice and little grated coconut. It makes the dosa tasty. No urid dal is used here and the batter need not to be ferment.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients : 

Boiled Rice : 2 Cups
Dosa Rice /Raw Rice : 1 Cup
Coconut : 1 Cup
Salt : As required
Oil : 4 to 5 Tablespoons
Water : As required
Oil : 3 to 4 Tablespoons ( To Prepare dosa).

Method :

1. Wash and soak boiled and raw rice together for over night or 5 to 6 hours.
2. Grate coconut and grind rice with coconut till it turns very fine paste.

3. Remove from the mixi jar and put it in a big bowl. Add required salt.
4. Add water and make the batter consistency as little thicker than normal dosa batter.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Sprinkle some oil on the top of tava.
6. Spread the oil around the tava. Take a ladle of the dosa batter and pour it slowly like round shape. ( ( Use your fingers to spread dosa on the tava. It turns thin and nice). Let the flame be low while spreading batter on the tava.

7. Add a teaspoon of oil /ghee and let the dosa cooked . (low and medium flame).
8. Turn the other side and cook for a minute /till it gets slightly brown.

9. Boiled Rice - Raw Rice Quick Dosa is ready to serve.

Note :

You can prepare rotti instead of dosa. Let the batter be bit thick. Cook on medium and low flame to get the tasty rotti. I have added little more water and prepared dosa. No onion or any other ingredients added. This dosa taste very good with sambar. Use of ghee or coconut oil is optional Use of coconut is optional. (for grinding). No need to ferment the batter. Use of grinder to grind rice is optional.
Time :  5 to 6 hours Soaking time : Grinding 5 minutes. (Mixi ). Preparing dosa : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.