Kanda Pohe, Flatten/ Beatten rice snack, Kanda Poha

Kanda Pohe, Kanda Poha

Poha also known as flattened rice or beaten rice is a dehusked rice which is flattened into flat light dry flakes. These flakes of rice swell when added to liquid, whether hot or cold, as they absorb water, milk or any other liquids. The thicknesses of these flakes vary between almost translucently thin to nearly four times thicker than a normal rice grain. This is easily digestible form of raw rice and is very popular across India, Nepal and Bangladesh, and is normally used to prepare snacks and easy fast food in a variety of Indian cuisine styles, some even for long-term consumption.

It is known by a variety of names: Atukulu in Telugu, Aval in Tamil and Malayalam, Chindé in Bengali and parts of Bihar and Jharkhand, Chira in Assamese, Chudaa in Oriya, Chiura  in Nepali, Bhojpuri and Chhattisgarhi, Poha or Pauwa in Hindi, Baji in Newari, Pohe in Marathi, Poha in Konkani, Avalakki in Kannada, and Pauaa/Paunva in Gujarati.

Flattened rice can be eaten raw by immersing it in plain water or milk, with salt and sugar to taste, or lightly fried in oil with nuts, raisins, cardamoms, and other spices. It can be reconstituted with hot water to make a porridge or paste, depending on the proportion of water added. In villages, particularly in Chhattisgarh, flattened rice is also eaten raw by mixing with jaggery.
So today we are cooking poha with lightly frying mustard seeds, turmeric, chili powder, finely chopped onions and then moistened poha is added to the spicy mix and steamed for a few minutes. 
Flattened rice is in a way, a convenience food and very similar to bread in usage.


Kanda Pohe
Ingredients:
2 cups of beaten rice flakes (jhada or thick variety of Poha)
1 medium sized onion finely chopped
2 medium sized green chillies chopped roughly
2 tblspn Oil
1/2 tspn Mustard seeds (Rai)
1/2 tspn Cumin seeds (Jeera)
1/2 tspn Turmeric powder
8-10 Curry leaves ( Kadi patta)
1tspn Sugar
2 tblspn lemon juice
Salt to taste

Optional:
1 medium sized boiled & diced potato
1tblspn roasted peanuts

Garnishing:
Freshly chopped Coriander leaves
Freshly grated coconut

Method:

• Clean, wash and rinse the rice flakes lightly in water for atleast 2 to 3 times. Drain the excess water and keep aside.

• Heat oil in a kadhai. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves.

• When the seeds start crackling, add onions and green chillies, mix well and sauté on a medium flame till the onions turn translucent in color.

• Add the turmeric powder, sugar and lemon juice, mix well.

• Now its time to add rice flakes and salt. Stir it lightly until everything is  mixed well and cook on a slow flame for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Its ready to serve. :-) 

• Serve it immediately in a plate with fresh coriander and coconut.

NOTE:

• If you like it to be more spicy, add 2 more small green chillies.

•  Its optional to add diced potatoes and roasted peanuts in this recipe. As Im allergic to peanuts I have not added them in the recipe. You can add potato and peanuts once onions become translucent in colour and follow the rest of the recipe same way as its mentioned above.

How to clean the Clams, tesriyo, Erunthu, Kakka, ekshipi, khube

How to clean the Clams, Tesriyo, Erunthu, Kakka, 

ekshipi, khube

Clams are delicious seafood like all shellfish, however preparing a clam can be little tricky. If not done correctly it can make for an unpleasant eating experience, as well as a risk for food poisoning.
 
Clams are eaten more in the coastal regions of India, especially in the Konkan, Kerala, Bengal, and Karnataka regions. In the south western coast of India, also known as the Konkan region, Clams are used to cook in curries and side dishes, like Ekshipi which is clams with one shell on.

In Kerala, clams are known as Erunthu or Kakka which are usually consumed in curry form. The whole clams are prepared in a green coconut masala, and is eaten with rice.

One of the two shells are kept intact with flesh in it. There are 3 types of clams used in cooking. 1."Tisre" or "Tesriyo" in Konkani. It has many lines and are found with different colours and patterns on the shell. 
2."Khubbe" are usually small in size then the tesriyo's and are black in colour.
3."Kalva" are found on big big stones near the sea shore. Fisher folks collect them form the stones.  They are found without shells.

All the 3 types of clams are used for cooking. Here are some steps you can take to ensure that you know how to clean clams properly with a short video for you to understand properly on how to clean the Clams, tesriyo, Erunthu, Kakka, ekshipi, khube. Hope it will help you on how to clean the shells and convert those shells into your delicious recipes.

NOTE :

• Dont buy the clams that are broken, cracked or with chipped shells.

• Always cook the clams immediately after cleaning them to avoid any potential health risks.

• After buying the clams from the store wash them under running water to remove any sand or mud particles from them. Store them in the freezer overnight. 

• Thaw and clean them next day as shown in the video and rinse them with water before using them in your recipes.

Dry Prawn masala / Sukha Jhinga masala

Dry Prawn masala / Sukha Jhinga masala

Today’s recipe is all time favorite of my hubby. I guarantee about this recipe, if u give a try for it, u gonna love it......After that do write back to me; give your valuable feedback....

Its usually decorated with fresh corriander leaves and served hot, most preferably with steamed rice.

Ingredients:

200 gms Cleaned dry prawns

2 big Onions finely chopped

2 tomatoes finely chopped

1 1/2 tspn Ginger garlic paste

1 tspn turmeric powder

2 tblspn Corriander powder

2 tblspn Kashmiri Red chiili powder

1tspn Mango powder also known as Amchoor

1 tspn Garam masala powder

3 or 4 pieces of Kokum

Few fresh Curry leaves

2 dry red chiilies

1 tspn Mustard seeds

1 tspn cumin seeds (jeera)

2 tblspn oil

Salt as per the taste

Finely chopped fresh corriander leaves

Method:

• Wash the cleaned prawns thrice and keep them soaked in the water. If using very small variety of dry prawns wash them and drain the water and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan to which add mustard seeds. When it starts crackling add the cumin seeds, dry red chiilies and the curry leaves.

• Now add the onion and the ginger garlic paste. Saute till onions become translucent in color.

• Add the tomatoes and cook till it becomes soft.

• Now add turmeric, corriander powder, kashmiri red chilli powder, mango powder, garam masala, mix it well and saute for 5 mins.

• Add the washed prawns and stir till all the masala gets evenly coated on the prawns.

• Now add 2 cups of water to the prawns and let it steam for 5 mins.

• To this add the kokum and salt as per the taste. 

• Cover and cook for further half an hour on medium heat. Keep checking in between to prevent it from getting burnt.

          By now your kitchen will be full of aromatic which you wont be able to resist.

• Once the water gets dried up stir it nicely and its time to serve ;-)) 

• Sprinkle freshly chopped corriander leaves voila we are done :-))

Note:

• If u like dry masala prawns then you can dry the water completely.
• If u need it in semi gravy retain some water.
• Kokum can always be replaced with tamarind.
• Quantity of the chilli powder may be adjusted as per the personal choice.

So friends go ahead give a try to this recipe and let me know how it came out.

Rajasthani Dahiwali Bhindi

Rajasthani Dahiwali Bhindi / Okra / Vendakka

Dahiwali Bhindi is a great way to enjoy a Rajasthani delicacy that is simply delicious. While choosing the bhindis choose young and tender ones for this recipe that will cook quickly. Dahi Bhindi is a spicy dish made by bhindi in yogurt gravy. Above all, the rich and fascinating aroma is so tempting that you won't resist cooking it frequently.

Ingredients

500gms Ladies finger (bhindi /Okra/Vendakka)

1 1/2 cup Curd (dahi)

2 tblspn coriander (dhania) powder

2 1/2 tblspn kashmiri red chilli powder

2 tblspn besan (Bengal gram flour)

1 tspn cumin seeds (jeera)

1 tspn mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)

1 tspn fennel seeds (saunf)

1/8 tspn asafoetida (hing)

8 to 10 fresh curry leaves (kadi patta)

4 tblspn oil

2 dry Kashmiri red chillies

salt to taste

finely chopped coriander (dhania) for garnishing

Method

• Heat 2tblspn of oil in a kadai. Add chopped bhindi and stir it continuously till the stickiness of the bhindi goes off and it turns soft. Keep it aside. 

• In a mixing bowl combine the curd, coriander powder, kashmiri red chilli powder, and salt with 2 tablespoons of water mix well and keep aside.

• Heat oil in the same kadai and add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, asafoetida, dry red chillies and curry leaves.

• When the seeds crackle, add the besan (bengal gram flour) and stir it for 2 mins.

• Now add the bhindi and curd mixture on a very low flame. Stir it gently continuously to avoid the cuddling of the curd. Bring the mixture to boil.

• Serve hot, garnish with the freshly chopped coriander. 

   

Can be served with plain white rice or rotis.

Rich Caramel Pudding

Rich Caramel Pudding Recipe

 Caramel pudding is an dessert with a layer of soft caramel on the top. This dish is eaten throughout the world.

There are variants of plain pudding where sugar syrup is cooked to caramel stage and poured into the moulds before adding the custard base. Its usually cooked in bain-marie in the oven in a water bath or on a stove top. Its turned upside down and served with its own caramel sauce on top.

There are many kinds of puddings like Egg pudding, Milk pudding, Bread pudding, Chocolate pudding, Strawberry, etc, etc......

In my house caramel pudding is loved by everyone and is healthy too.

So today I will share with you all the pudding recipe which is made up of milk mixture baked in a dish with sweet caramel lining its base. You can always play with its flavouring as per your likes. Im making it with fresh Vanilla pods. So lets start with the recipe.

Rich Caramel Pudding

Ingredients: 

1 liter Full Fat/ Cream Milk
1 Vanilla bean split length wise or 1teaspoon Vanilla essence
4 nos. Eggs
3/4 cup Sugar. 

Method :

1. Take 3 tabelspoons of sugar in thick bottomed pan. Add few drops of water and stir gently so the sugar is evenly heated. Continue melting the sugar till it gets light brown color (according to personal preferences: for bitter- boil the sugar down to the vesicles till it gets dark brown color; for sweet-sugar boil and roll the mould so that the mould is evenly coated with the caramel and keep it aside for cooling.

2. Heat the milk in a pan with the remaining sugar and vanilla bean in it. Continue heating the milk till it gets reduced to half and let it cool down to the room temp.

3. Break the whole eggs and the egg yolks into a bowl and whisk it nicely. Pour the whisked eggs into the milk and stir it so that the milk and egg is mixed nicely.

4. Strain the milk mixture and pour it into the moulds. Cover it aluminium foil and place it in the cooker and steam it for 25 to 30 mins till the knife comes clean when inserted. Do not use the whistle. Remove when done and let it cool.

For Microwave steaming:

• Preheat the oven at 150 degrees C (300 degrees F).
• Place kitchen towel in the bottom of an oven tray.
• Place the moulds on the towel and add hot water to reach halfway up the moulds and bake for 90 mins till the knife comes out clean when inserted in. Take it out and let it cool.

5. Refrigerate the pudding until completely cold, then unmould and serve.

Note:

• Sugar can be adjusted int the pudding as per the sweetness required by you and your family.
• Caramel pot can be washed in hot water or can reheat the vessel with water.
• Oven temperature and time may differ, because each oven estimates are not the same.