Paddu/GuLiyappa (Sweet, Savoury and Simply Plain)

PaDDu(D as in Daniel) or GuLiyappa(guLi[L as in 'guLika kaala'] in Kannada means dimple or depression. The pan used to make this has depressions like in a muffin pan, and 'appa' my guess is equivalent of 'appam' in Malayalam or Tamil, and hence the name) is one breakfast item elaborate enough to be savoured at a leisurely pace on a weekend or provided the batter is ready, can solve ones busy weekday morning breakfast issues too...You can prepare this with leftover idly batter too, albiet with a lil compromise on the aroma, texture and taste of the final product. As my title suggests, this is one versatile batter... make sweet, savoury and/or plain Paddus and get three times the compliments ;-), satisfying three different taste palettes. For the savoury paddu, let your imagination rule....chopped palak, grated carrots, methi leaves are some tasty and healthy options, but I like the Dill leaves best of all.

I had once prepared this for breakfast when my parents had come over to my place at Bangalore, and my dad said it was the best, better than even what my mom prepared. Though I would never agree to it, it was the best compliment I ever got. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, they really make weekends(even weekdays for that matter) very special.

Ingredients for the Batter(Plain Paddu):

2 cups Idli Rice
1/4 cup Urad Dal
1/4 cup Moong Dal
1/4 cup Chana Dal
1/4 cup Methi Seeds
Method:

1. Wash and soak the rice in a big bowl of water for at least 5 hours.
2. Wash and soak together, the dals and methi seeds in another bowl of water for the same amount of time.
3. Grind the rice in a grinder/blender to form a coarse batter. It should feel like fine semolina/rave to the touch. Do not add too much water.
4. Grind the dal and methi seeds mixture to form a fine smooth paste.
5. Mix both the ground pastes. The final batter should be of Idli batter consistency.
6. Close and keep overnight in a warm place to ferment.

Ingredients for Sweet Paddu:
3 cups of the fermented batter
1 Ripe mashed Banana
1/2 cup closely packed Brown Sugar/Powdered Jaggery
1 teaspoon Cardamom Powder
A pinch of Salt

Mix all the above ingredients thoroughly.

Ingredients for Savoury Paddu:
3 cups of the fermented batter
1 cup of chopped Sabasge Soppu(Dill leaves)(You can use grated carrot with or instead of Dill)
1/2 cup or more, finely chopped Onions
1/2 cup finely chopped Coriander Leaves
2 teaspoons Green chilli paste(Optional)
2 teaspoons Jeera/Cumin seeds
1 teaspoon Salt

Mix all the above ingredients thoroughly.

Method:
1. Keep the Paddu pan on the stove and add oil/ghee into each of the moulds. Put it on high heat.
2. Once the oil/ghee heats up, pour the desired(sweet, savoury or plain) batter into the mould, until slightly more than 3/4th full. You should hear the pan sizzle while pouring the batter. It will be convenient to use a spoon to pour the batter.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-high and let the batter cook for 7-10 mins. Then flip over and cook the other side(5-7 mins). You can add oil/ghee on this side too if you wish.
4. Remove from the pan and serve hot.
5. You can serve the sweet Paddu with honey and ghee, and the savoury/plain paddu with coconut chutney.

I came across Suganya's blog and this wonderful event that she is hosting. I am a fairly new blogger and thought this would make a good first entry. Hope you all like it.

And, thank you Suganya and Nandita of Saffron Trail for this beautiful event!

Nippattu

Most of our evening coffee times start with the following comments from my son and hubby.. "amma, yenaadru karum-kurum koDamaa"(Mom, gimme something crunchy-munchy) "yenaadru khara-khara ideya?" (have anything spicy to eat?)How often can one serve the same old Haldirams mixtures or chips etc.,??? After wishing for a magic wand that will conjure delicacies, and finally facing the harsh reality that no such thing is going to happen...and after running out of all lame excuses....I decide to wield the ladle instead of the wand :-( I felt like doing something for which I wont have to stand infront of the stove during coffee-time. I tried to think of doing something that I can prepare ahead of time and store for days. Something that even I can enjoy sitting down with my family. What else should strike but the traditional chakkuli, koDubaLe, nippaTTu.... Oldie-goldies.... perfect snacks and healthy too... So, in full "josh" I selected the nippaTTu and set about with the preparation. Finishing all my other chores in a hurry, I fished out my diary in which I have written my mom's recipes. There it was, tucked away in a least opened page, the recipe for nippaTTu, staring at me, bringing back to me the memories of my school days... when I would pester my mom for snacks, how she would patiently prepare stuff for me.... I could almost feel the crunch, the taste even the smell of those snacks lingering in my memory lanes....Can't thank her enough. Guess, now's my turn. Hope I will be able to leave at least a small percentage of that impression in my Son's memories. Well, shook myself out of the revrie and checked for the ingredients. Had everything. Well, once I started with it, took me almost 3 hours to prepare about 35 nippaTTus. Anyways, I was happy with the outcome. But what made me the happiest was the reaction of the two guys in my life when they saw what I had set in front of them with coffee/milk. :-) Well, it is undescribable...saying this shoud suffice though, that all the nippattu's simply disappeared in 2 days flat...whereas the store bought snacks just refuse to leave my shelf once they are about 1/2 to 3/4th empty. They just lie there until I show them to the trash can out of frustation. Anyways, I was lucky enough to click the pics before they(nippaTTus) disappeared.
I had thought of making "NippaTTu Masale" which is a yummmmmmy street chaat. But, maybe next time(dont ask when, cos it sure is a tedious task. Anyone having any easier solutions are most welcome to suggest).....Till then, enjoy them plain....

Ingredients:
2 cups Rice Flour
1/2 cup Maida
1/4 cup Roasted Bengal Gram(PutaaNi/HurigaDle, Dalia) coarsely powdered
1/4 cup Peanuts roasted,skinned and coarsely powdered
1/4 cup grated Coconut
2 teaspoons white Sesame seeds, roasted
1/4 teaspoon hing(asoefetida)
2 teaspoon Red Chilli powder
15-20 Curry leaves, chopped finely
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Salt, to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:
1. Mix the rice flour and maida and heat it in a pan, until just warm.
2. Add all other ingredients except butter to the flours and mix well.
3. You can make this ahead and store it in an air tight container, for upto 2 months.
4. When you want to make the nippattu, take as much of the above mixture as you want, and rub in the butter until the mixture is of a crumbly texture.
5. Add water and knead to form a stiff but pliable dough.
6. Take a heaped teaspoon full of the dough and roll it into a tight ball between the palms of your hands
7. Grease a sheet of plastic/butter paper and flatten out the ball to form a round disc of about 3 inches diameter.
8. Prick the disc with a fork, to prevent it from puffing up while frying.
9. Deep fry in hot oil. Fry one at a time. While one is in the oil, you can make another disc and keep it ready. Flip once or twice in between and fry until golden brown.

Bread Toast

Another walk down the lane leading to that culinary khazana called the Iyengar Bakery. Being in the US and denied of such luxuries, I feel like I should know how to make everything they make there...Bakeries being synonymous with the humble bread, bread toast is what strikes me first. Easy on the purse and on the stomach too, I have seen so many people making a meal out of it. Prepared at home, it doubles up as either a 'Ready in a jiffy' breakfast or 'Curb that Craving' kind of evening snack.
Hope y'all enjoy it!

Ingredients:
2 Carrots, washed, peeled and grated
1 cup Onion, finely chopped
4-5 Green Chilles, finely chopped
1/2 cup Tomatoes, seeds and juice removed and cubed (Optional)
1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
2-3 teaspoons Oil
Salt and Sugar to taste
6 slices of Bread, buttered and slightly toasted

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a pan. When hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it sputter.
2. Now, add the chopped chillies and fry for a few seconds.
3. Add the chopped onions and fry till transluscent.
4. Add the turmeric powder.
5. Add the carrots, mix well and let it cook.
6. If using, add the tomatoes and cook until just warm. Dont let it get mushy.
7. Finally, add the salt and sugar as per your needs, mix well and take off the heat.
8. Spread two(or more!) spoonfulls of the above mixture on a slice of toasted bread. Repeat for all the slices and serve warm with a hot cuppa java!

Broccoli-Carrot Soup

I like to call it the 'Green Cauliflower'. The resemblance is uncanny. High in Vitamin C and soluble fibres, its a great source of nutrients. During my pregnancy I was advised by many to eat broccoli as it is supposed to gift the child with cancer resisting powers. I had seen it being served raw in veggie trays, with dips. I dint want to eat it raw, and thats when I googled for recipes involving broccoli and hit upon this simple, tasty, comforting soup. Broccoli is a winter crop. What better time to have warm soups and drive away the horrible winter blues??? And hey, dont stop there...let your imagination loose...use it in palya(subzi), grate and add it to chapati dough and make parathas.....Go Broccoli!, it rocks!!!! :-) for now, try this simple soup...

Ingredients:
10-12 medium florets of Broccoli
1 big Carrot, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup chopped Onions
1 clove of Garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup Milk
1 tablespoon Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Cook the broccoli and carrots with a little water and salt until tender.
2. In a pan, heat the butter.
3. Add chopped onions and garlic. Saute until the onions are transluscent.
4. Add the cooked broccoli, carrots, onions and garlic along with salt and pepper to a blender, and blend until smooth.
5. Transfer the contents of the blender back to the pan and add the milk.
6. Bring to a boil.
7. Adjust the seasoning. Adjust the consistency by adding milk or water as required.
8. Serve hot.