Majjige Huli (Morkolamb in Tamil)

I havent posted here in a very very long time and believe me I really havent done any much cooking in the past 4 months. Yes, you heard it right. I have been taking my time to adjust to a newcomer in my life who is currently rolling around in me!
Today though necessity overwhelmed lethargy and I got down to the brass knacks and turned up a dish dear to T.

Majjige Huli is a great mix of the tangy, spicy and sweet. Its a curd based dish in which curd is the last ingredient to be added :)

What you need to make Majjige Huli

• Many choice of Veggies including Pumpkin, Cucumber, Brinjal, Ladies Finger, Chayote(Seeme badnekayi in kannada), Ivy Gourd (Thondekayi in kannada), Beans etc
• Kadlebele (Split yellow chickpeas) - 1 cup
• Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Green/Red Chilly -3-4
• Salt to taste
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Curd - 2 tbsp

Preparation to make Majjige Huli

• Soak the kadlebele for atleast half an hour or till it becomes soft to the touch and breaks easily.
• Grate the coconut
• Grind soaked kadlebele, cumin seeds, turmeric, coconut and chilly to a paste with a little bit of water.

Method to make Majjige Huli

• In case you are using Pumpkin or cucumber then cook in a vessel with water till soft. Add 1/2 tsp of salt while it cooks.
• In case you are using Ladies Finger then fry it till the stickyness is gone. You could put a spoon of curd to fasten the process.
• In case you are using Brinjal then fry it till cooked.
• In case of other vegetables like you could pressure cook them

Once the vegetables are cooked, add the ground paste and allow it to boil. Add water as necessary to make it a thick gravy.

Add salt as required.

Allow it to cook till all the ingredients blend well.

Remove from flame.

To season, heat oil and add mustard seeds to it. Once it splutters remove from flame and add it into the gravy. Mix well.

Allow the gravy to cool completely and then add 2 tbsps of curd and mix thoroughly.

My fundas

• Majjige Huli tastes best with Pumpkin. Ladies finger also is very good in it.
• Makes for a soothing side dish with rice on a hot summer's day

Jihva for Ingredients (JFI) - Toor dal

This was like the simplest event I could take part in. Which humble south Indian would not use toor dal in everyday life to make that humble yet scintillating rasam or sambar. But I remembered an earlier post about a gori kayi (cluster beans) curry that I had in north Karnataka style and felt it was the recipe that I would submit. You can view the recipe post here

Puri Pal (Puris in milk)

I came across WYF-Dessert/Sweet on SnackORama so decided that this would be my contribution to it.

Diwali Day 3
This is another favourite of mine. Sigh I love all sweets! This particular dish is also a favourite with my grandma. She loves it when my mom makes this at home. I dedicate this post to my grandma who we all fondly call Manni.

What you need to make Puri Pal
For the dough

• Maida - 1 cup
• Wheat flour - 1 cup
• Ghee/Butter - 2 tbsp
• Water - 1 cup

For the sweet gravy

• Milk - 6 cups
• Sugar - 1-2 cups depending on how sweet you want it, can add as you progress with dish
• Cardamom - 2
• Saffron - 4-5 strands
• Cashewnuts - 10
• Raisins - 10

Preparation to make Puri

• Mix the maida and the wheat flour together in a bowl.
• Add the ghee/butter to this (a little at a time) and knead well.
• Add water if required, and little by little, we dont want a flood in the bowl.
• At the end of the process you must have well kneaded dough ball (non sticky). Keep aside for ten minutes

Method to make Puri
There are two ways of doing this :

First (Shankarpoli)

• Flatten the dough till its a thin base. You could do this with hand (like you do pizza base, I did this for lack of a rolling pin) or with a rolling pin.
• Use a pizza cutter to cut this thin base into 1/2'*1/2' pieces.
• Get the pieces put and layout on a tray.
• Heat some oil in a heavy bottomed vessel.
• Deep fry the pieces till its golden brown. Do not make it too brown or crisp.
• Remove when fried and put it in the tray layered with the tissue paper.

Second

• Make regular palm sized puris
• When cool tear the puris into small pieces and keep aside.
• Heat some oil in a heavy bottomed vessel.
• Deep fry the puris till its golden brown. Do not make it too brown or crisp.
• Remove when fried and put it in the tray layered with the tissue paper.

Method to make Puri Pal

• Heat the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel.
• This is one of those "patience" dishes.
• You need to allow the milk to boil on simmer till it condenses to 3/4 its quantity and starts thickening.
• Add required amount of sugar to it.
• Add the puri pieces to this milk and allow it to boil for some time till the puris soften (you should be able to break the piece with least effort).
• Add the cardamom, saffron, cashewnuts and raisins and get it to a final boil.

My fundas

• In case the milk does not thicken add a handful of Rava (Semolina / cream of wheat).