NAVANAKKI DOSA/MILLET DOSA

Navanakki or foxtail millet is a good source of protein and dietary fibre. It is mainly consumed in southern India. Many recipes, both sweet and savoury are made from navanakki.

The process of soaking, grinding followed by fermenting the dosa batter is similar to the rice dosa batter preparation. The given proportions of navanakki dosa yields crispy dosa.

The taste of navanakki dosa is different from the regular rice dosa. It can be relished with coconut chutney and potato sabzi. Onion, tomato and peanut chutney is also a good option.

It is the beginning of winters, the weather is not very warm here in Hyderabad. I kept the dosa batter overnight in the preheated oven and it fermented really well.

The temperature of tava or griddle should be not too cold or not too hot. In both the conditions the batter may not spread evenly, it will stick to the ladle while spreading. You may have to make a couple of trail rounds to get the correct temperature. Once you get the hang of the correct temperature, the mess can be easily avoided.

Recipe for Navanakki dosa

Ingredients for Navanakki dosa

• 3 cups navanakki or foxtail millet
• 1 cup boiled rice
• 1 cup urad dal or black gram dal
• Salt to taste
• Oil or ghee for frying

How to make

Wash navanakki, boiled rice and urad dal 2 to 3 times. Soak for 4 hours.

Grind to a fine, smooth batter. Add some water while doing so or else your grinder may get overloaded.

Add salt and mix well.

Cover with lid and keep the batter in a warm place (I kept it in preheated oven) overnight for fermentation.

As you can see in the picture the batter has fermented really well.

Mix with a ladle, add water to get a thick but pouring consistency. If your batter consistency is correct skip this step.

Spread a ladle of batter on medium hot tava or griddle to make a round shaped, thin dosa.

Spread a teaspoon of oil or ghee around the edges. Once the edges are brown remove with a flat spoon. If the dosa is thick flip it and cook for a minute.

Give it a fold from the centre. Serve with chutney, sambar or potato sabzi.

RAW TAMARIND THOKKU/ CHINTAKAYA THOKKU

Tamarind thokku is a mouthwatering preparation similar to the pickles. Thokku is also referred to as chutney or pachadi.

This is a very old recipe of thokku which comes from my nanima, who belonged to Andhra. Thokku rice has always lit up my mood, especially when mom fed me with her hands.  I think that added to the taste and made it much tastier.

First the base for thokku is prepared with raw green tamarind, salt and turmeric powder. Then as per the requirement the thokku is removed in a bowl and tempered. This is grinded to a coarse paste. Water should not be added to it. The tempered thokku can be stored for one to two months in the refrigerator.

Thokku has a good shelf life, it can be stored for over a year. As a child I remember thokku pounding used to be a big affair involving all the females and kids of the house. Washing, cleaning and then pounding the tamarind with turmeric and salt.

Choose green, big, fuller and hard variety of green tamarind. Discard the flat ones and the ones which have started to ripen. Such tamarinds are available in the market around the month of October and November.

Use ceramic achaar barni or jar only to store the thokku. Wash the jar thoroughly. Then sundry it. Also remember to cool the jars to room temperature. Do not put the thokku in a warm jar.

I have used sea salt in this recipe. Table salt can also be used. The number of green chillies may seem too much. The pungency of green chillies balance the sourness of tamarind. The amount of green chillies can be adjusted according to their pungency.

Recipe for Raw tamarind thokku

Ingredients for Raw tamarind thokku

• 1 kg raw tamarind
• 2 tbsp turmeric powder
• 250 gms sea salt or table salt

For tempering

• ¼ cup oil
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds or rai
• ½ tsp fenugreek or methi seeds
• ¼ tsp asafetida or heeng
• 12 to 15 green chillies

How to make

Firstly wash and dry the tamarind in shade.

Separate the flat and small size tamarinds. Remove the dried stems.

Cut the tamarind into one inch pieces.  Check the pieces from inside for any dark patches, discard it.

If the seeds are hard remove them.

Pound the tamarind in small batches. Gradually keep adding the salt and turmeric while pounding in batches.

Transfer the pounded thokku to a clean and dry jar. Keep in a cool dry place for a week.

For preparing the thokku, remove the required quantity in a bowl.

Heat oil. Roughly break the chillies in two or three pieces. Fry it in oil for a minute. Remove and keep aside.

In the same oil add methi seeds, rai and heeng. As the rai splutters remove from heat.

First grind the green chillies.

Then add the thokku and seasoning to it. Grind without adding water to get a coarse paste.

Serve it over steamed rice and a spoonful of ghee or oil.

RAW TAMARIND PACHADI/ CHUTNEY

Raw tamarinds are available in market in the months of October or November. During this time a number of delicacies are prepared with raw tamarind like tamarind pickle, tamarind thokku, tamarind dal and so on.

This recipe is simple and flavourful. It tastes wonderful with plain steamed rice and pappadums. It can also be enjoyed with yellow dal and chawal or with chapatti.

Recipe for Raw tamarind pachadi

Ingredients for Raw tamarind pachadi

• 1 cup raw tamarind (cut into 1 inch pieces and deseeded)
• 10 dry red chillies
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 10 cloves garlic
• 10 to 15 curry leaves
•  ½ cup oil
• Salt to taste

How to make

Heat oil in a kadai or skillet. Add mustard and fenugreek seeds.

As the mustard seeds begin to splutter, add curry leaves and red chillies.

Add in the garlic cloves. Saute for a minute. Remove from heat.

Transfer the above ingredients to a chutney jar (leave some oil in the kadai). Let it cool for some time.

In the same kadai, saute the raw tamarind pieces for 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat or until soft. Let it cool for some time.

Dry grind the ingredients in the chutney jar.

Now add the tamarind and salt. Grind it further to get a coarse textured chutney. Do not add water.

Transfer to an airtight container.

SABUDANA KHICHDI

This an authentic Maharastrian recipe prepared with sago, potatoes and crushed peanuts. Potatoes are optional, but sabudana khichdi cannot be prepared without peanuts.

The process of making khichdi is very simple. The main step to make soft, fluffy khichdi is to soak the sago in just enough water for the sago to bloom. Sago to water ratio is 1:2. This will fluff up the sago pearls perfectly. Too much water will make the khichdi sticky and less water will make it chewy.

The given proportions will serve for two persons. Preferably make the khichdi in a nonstick pan. Just before finishing the cooking, sugar can be added which is optional. I like it without the sugar.

This dish is a meal in itself. Kakdichi koshimbir (maharashtrian style cucumber curd raita) or plain curd goes very well with it.

Recipe for Sabudana khichdi

Ingredients for Sabudana khichdi

• 1 cup sabudana or sago
• 1 medium sized potato (finely sliced as shown in the picture)
• 1 cup peanuts (roasted and crushed)
• 4 green chillies (roughly chopped)
• ½ tsp jeera or cumin seeds
• ¼ cup coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• Half a lemon
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp oil

How to make

Roast the peanuts and let it cool to room temperature. Coarsely crush them in a grinder.

Soak the sabudana overnight in 2 cups of water.

By morning it will double up in size. Gently run a fork in the soaked sabudana to check if all the water has been absorbed and that the sabudana pearls are dry and separate.

In the same bowl add the salt and crushed peanuts. Mix well with a fork.

Heat oil in a kadhai or skillet. Add cumin seeds in hot oil. As it splutters add green chillies. Saute for a minute.

Add the potatoes. Cover with lid. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until done.

Now add in the sabudana peanut mixture.

Saute for 5 minutes continuously. You may observe that the white pearls of sabudana will become translucent and lighter. If you see too many while pearls of sabudana, continue sautéing for two more minutes.

Squeeze half a lemon, add the sugar (optionl) and garnish with lots of coriander.

Serve with Kakdichi koshimbir (maharashtrian style cucumber curd raita) or plain curd.

CHINGRI MALAI CURRY

Bengalis love chingri malai curry, small sized prawns cooked in creamy gravy. This is a mildly spiced, yellow coloured dish which is easy to prepare and quick too. It gets its creaminess from coconut milk and melon seeds paste. Cashew nuts can also be used.

The given weight of prawns is after cleaning and deveining. I have used readymade coconut milk in this recipe. Coconut milk can be very easily prepared at home. Make a fine paste of grated coconut with a cup of water. Strain it through a sieve to get thick milk of coconut. This first extract is the best

Recipe for Chingri malai curry

Ingredients for Chingri malai curry

• 250 gms small prawns (shelled and deveined)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 tbsp melon seeds
•  1 onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tomato (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 green cardamoms
• ¼ + ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp coriander seeds
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• 1 pinch of garam masala
• 2 green chillies (roughly chopped)
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup mustard oil

How to make

Marinate the prawns in some salt and turmeric powder for 10 minutes.

Heat mustard oil. Fry the prawns for not more than two minutes. Keep aside.

In the same oil add bay leaves and cardamom pods.

Add onions. Cook till translucent.

Now add in the ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute.

Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and cumin powder. Mix well.

Add in the tomato and cook 3 to 4 minutes till it turns soft.

Add in the prawns and saute for 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat.

Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the coconut milk and mix well.

Season with salt. Sprinkle garam masala. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Serve with parantha, rice.