Coriander Chutney

Coriander chutney is one of the most commanly prepared chutneys in Indian household. It is served with Idlis, Dosas, Parathas, Upma, etc.

There are many variations of this chutney with the addition of Groundnuts, Coconut, Pudina, etc. In the recipe described below, I have added coconut togather with coriander leaves to prepare the coconut chutney.

Ingriedients:
Grated coconut - half cup
Coriander leaves - 2 cups
Green chillies - 2
Garlic petals/ Lasun - 8
Curd - 1 tablespoon (Opional)
Salt - as per taste
Water - as per needed consistency

Procedure:
1. In the mixer grind all the above ingriedients except curd to a fine paste.
2. Transfer it in a serving bowl. Add curd and mix well.

Notes:
1. Instead of curd, you can also add 2 tablespoon lime juice.
2. You can also add small piece of ginger while grinding.

Patoleo

Shravan is considered a very auspicious month as it comes fully loaded with many festivals. In Goa, we celebate Shravan sundays full of zest and vigour and every sunday, one of those special reserved recipes are prepared. One of it includes Patoleo. Yesterday, I prepared this for the first time, and it cam out really awesome. Other Shravan sunday recipes will be posted soon.

Patoleo is prepared by cooking the rice paste with coconut-jaggery mix in a special turmeric leaf which are also called as patoleo pana meaning patoleo leaves. Once cooked, these leaves pass on their aromatic flavour to the rice.

Ingriedients:
Rice - 1 cup
Grated coconut - half cup
Jaggery - half cup
Turmeric leaves\ Patoleo pana - around 8
Salt

Procedure:
1. Soak 1 cup rice in adequate amount of water for atleast 8 hours. Add very less water, just enough for the rice to get soaked.
2. Grind it in the mixer to form a thick paste. Do not add water while grinding. Add a pinch of salt while grinding.
3. In a mixing bowl, add the grated coconut and jaggery and mix well. Make sure no lumps of jaggery are present.
4. Next take the turmeric leaves, wash them well and wipe them with a clean dry cloth. Cut the ends of the leaf.
5. Next spread the rice paste evenly on the turmeric leaf. Try to form a thin layer. Spread the jaggery coconut mix in the center of the rice paste layer. At the end, fold the leaf and press its edges to seal it.  Place it on a steel plate.
6. In a similar way, continue with the other turmeric leaves till the rice paste gets over. Place them on a plate on by one.
7. Finally place the place in a cooker and cook it for 2-3 whistles.

The delicious Patoleo is ready.
Serve it hot along with the turmeric skin.

Notes:
1. While eating, the turmeic skin needs to be removed. It is not edible. It is used just for its flavour.
2. You can also soak rosematta rice (Ukdha rice) instead of normal rice. It tastes more delicious.
3. Another way of preparing the rice paste is to add 1 cup rice flour to half cup boiled water and a pinch of salt and knead it like dough. It you do not want to pre soak rice, then this is one alternative.
4. You can also add elaichi or cardomom powder to the coconut jaggery mix.

Pithla

Pithla is a very common recipe in marathi homes. It is mostly prepared when we run out of veggies.
Usually after we are back home from a long journey and I want to prepare a quick and easy dinner, I go for Pithla-Bhaat-Thecha (Rice served with Pitla and some thecha).

Thecha recipe can be found at below link
Hirwi Mirchicha Thecha

Pithla is a very simple recipe where the besan is cooked with some masala. It goes very well with Gakar and is popularly known as Pithla-Gakar.

The Gakar recipe can be found at below link
Gakar Recipe

Ingriedients:
1 Onion - chopped
Cumin seeds (jeera) - one teaspoon
Mustard seeds - one teaspoon
Asaefatida(hing)
2 Green chillies - slit vertically
Turmeric powder - half teaspoon
Ajwain/ Carom seeds (owa) - 1 teaspoon
Besan (gram flour) - 4 tablespoon
Karipatta - 4-5 leaves
Oil
Water

Procedure:
1. In a mixing bowl, add 4 tabelspoon besan, salt and water and mix well. Make sure no lumps are formed.
2. In a vok (Kadhai), add 2 tablespoon Oil and add mustard. Once it crackles, add cumin seeds, ajwain, asaefatida, Karipatta and green chillies.
3. Next add chopped onions and fry till they turn golden brown.
4. Next add turmeric powder.
5. Next pour the besan mixed with water and stir well. Add around 2-3 cups of water.
6. Keep stirring in between so that the it does not sick the bottom.
7. Let it cook for around 10 minutes so that besan is completely cooked.

Garnish with chopped corainder.
The delicious Pithla is ready.
Serve it hot with Gakar or rice or fulkas

Notes:
1. If you are serving it with Gakar, fulkas or any Indian bread, add less amount of water while cooking (around 2 cups). If you plan to serve it with rice, add more water (around 3 cups). Adjust the consistency of water as per your likes.
2. You can skip the addition of onions from the recipe to prepare bin kandyacha pithla(Pithla without onions)
3. Make sure besan is completely cooked before turning off the gas stove.

Methi Pulao/ Methi Bhaat/ Fenugreek Leaves Rice

The onset of monsoon is the onset for fresh green leafy veggetables...that means the onset for trying the various recipes of these veggies.

After tasting the delicious methi pulao prepared by my friends mother, I thought of giving it a try.
The Methi Bhaat (as it is called in Kannada) came out really awesome. Hence posting this recipe.

This is a very simple recipe of methi pulao and it can be packed easily for our lunch boxes.
Methi has this speciality that it gives out its flavour to any item that it is combined with.
With Methi Aloo, the aloo (potatoes) tastes declicous.
With Methi Parathas, the parathas tastes decilious.
And now with Methi rice, the rice tastes delicious.

Ingriedients:
1 bunch methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) - cleaned and chopped
1 cup rice
3 green chillies - vertically slit
Karipatta - 5-6 leaves
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon jeera (Cumin seeds)
Hing
Oil
Water
Salt

Procedure:
1. Wash the rice and keep it aside for around 30 minutes.
2. In a steel pressure cooker, pour 2 tablespoon oil, add mustard and wait till it splutters.
3. Add Jeera, green chillies, hing and karipatta.
4. Finally add the the chopped onions with apinch of salt.
5. Once the onions become golden brown, add the chopped methi leaves and let it cook for 2-3 minutes
6. Next add the washed rice and mix well.
7. Finally add 2.5 cups of water and required amount of salt (as per taste) and pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles.
8. Once the cooker cools down, mix it well.

Serve the hot Methi Pulao with raita, pickle and papad.

Notes:

1. If you find the methi little bitter, add half teaspoon sugar while adding methi.
2. You can also add matar(green peas) to the rice, to prepare Methi Matar Pulao, which is much more delicious.
3. Instead of methi, you can also add Palak leaves(Spinach) to prepare palak pulao. I prepare pulao, even with  Dill leaves(Sabsige soppu\ Shepu). It tastes really awesome.
4. I usually add some carrot pieces to the pulao to make it more healthy.