Colorful Panpolos With A Twist - Version 2

I have shared the recipe for panpolo few months back which you can check here. The recipe below is without using any coconut. Yes, this is version 2 of panpolos, with NO COCONUT which was shared by my friend VNS on a food group. A preferred option for people who would look or are advised for no coconut consumption in their diet. 

I have read about crispier neer dosas been made by tuluvers and kannadigas without the use of coconut, so my understanding was that we need to include coconut to bring in that softness while preparing these dosas. It was when VNS posted a photo titled "panpolo with a twist" that caught my attention. After checking her post realized she had prepared them with rice, poha and NO COCONUT. The dosas looked perfect, so I immediately bookmarked her recipe and decided to give it a try. Her recipe has been adapted to prepare COLORFUL PANPOLOS as you see in method and photos below. 


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Stuffed Dahi Ke Kebabs

Dahi ke kababs is a traditional recipe from Awadh. This melt in your mouth kind of kebab is prepared from hung curd, flavoured with spices and stuffed with dry fruits mixture. felt the kebabs would break into small parts as we handle with the delicate soft hung curd but when I watched the video of its preparation I decided to give it a try. First attempt I shallow fried them whereas in my next attempt tried deep frying them as you see in the photos below. Both times this chatpata snack got finished in few mins. The recipe is inspired from Chef Rakesh Sethi preparation here. 




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Beerakaya Pesarapappu

I have not prepared much from Andhra cuisine and my thinking has been limited to this "Traditional Andhra cuisine means spicy, hot dishes with a tangy taste". During my Bangalore visit, when I asked my Telugu friend for an authentic Andhra cookbook she referred to me this book with vegetarian recipes from a traditional Andhra Kitchen titled  "Cooking at home with Pedatha". She was going on and on about the wonderful recipes in there and how it helped her to overcome her kitchen fear as a novice cook. And so here is my copy. Thanks "L" for suggesting this book to me.




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Wheat Jaggery Halwa/ Atte Ka Halwa

After the recipe of wheat flour dosas, I was reminded of  a sweet known as "Atte ka Halwa". I have prepared this sweet many times as its so quick and with simple steps it just gets done in 15 minutes. It was when "S" posted this dish on a food group about a year back, I tried it for the first time. The recipe she shared was inspired from Divine taste. This sweet dish, also known as Karha Prashad is prepared and served as prasad in langhar [ free community dining room, a feature of all Sikh temples] during gurudwara programs. Having said to be full of protein and rich in iron, this dish when prepared in ghee tastes so delicious that you will be tempted to go for 2nd and 3rd servings. I prepared this sweet once again on occasion of Holi today. 




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KOOTTUCURRY/ ERISHERY - GUEST POST 3

Its a 2nd Monday of this month and here I am having my guest on Flavors and Colors. Did you all realize that I posted my previous guest posts for Jan and Feb on Mondays in the second week of the month. I thought to continue with same pattern. Today with this 3rd session, its my dear friend Priya R Shenoy who is always cheerful, bubbly and very enthusiastic person. I got to know her [again no guesses here], through a food group. A real FOODIE [hope Priya doesn't pinch me for that mention in caps;)]. She is an expert in North Kerala cuisine. Having said that, she also enjoys trying out various recipes from other cuisines and comes out with mouthwatering dishes. With her keen interest, she manages to cook many dishes in a day and so has been nicknamed as "Express Queen" in our group. Today she shares the recipe of dish which she loves and is her speciality.This is what Priya had to say in her words -

I am so happy today to do this guest post. Excited, this being a new experience for me and bit nervous too bcoz it's Appu's blog Flavors and Colors. We follow her blog regularly and I have tried so many recipes from here. So when she recently asked to write a guest post here it was nothing less than any oscar for me. Thank you so much dear for this opportunity and honour! 

About me, I am a housewife, mother of two cute kids, now settled in Trivandrum. Being born and brought up in Kanhangad (North Kerala), naturally my love towards Kerala cuisine is huge and all my recipes and taste is largely influenced by this cuisine. 

Today I share the recipe of a dish " Koottucurry or Erishery" from North Kerala, to be specific from Kanhangad. It is a side dish served with rice and a must curry for every malayali feast. This dish is very close to my heart, because from my childhood days I always loved this curry and now it's a favourite one of my hubby too :). The unique combination of black chana, raw banana [preferably the kerala plaintain) and yam makes this dish tastes heavenly. 



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Patal Bhaji With Palak and Methi leaves

Patal bhaji is a specialty prepared from colacassia/taro leaves and sour greens [ambat bhaji] in combination with peanuts and chana dal. It has a unique sour and spicy taste, with little sweetness and goes well as side dish with main menu. This is most popular dish prepared by Maharashtrians. With absence of these leaves [we rarely get colocasia leaves here], I decided to prepare them from most commonly available greens in the stores which is palak. Next day, on the way back from my office, I picked some palak and when my eyes fell on fresh methi leaves I decided to include them too. Below is the photo and recipe of what I prepared. 




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Purple Cabbage Rice

At times when the whole menu can not be cooked, making some variety rice comes to my rescue. I prepare it at least twice a week to go easy on everyday cooking and utilize other time to do other household chores. The dish is cooked specially or sometimes the leftover rice is jazzed up into a nice meal. Mix and match the vegetables depending on their availability and experiment with different spices to create a unique flavor combination. You can check different combinations for these rice varieties that I have prepared and posted here.






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Chinese Noodles/Hakka Noodles

Hakka Noodles or Veg Chowmein is an Indian adaptation of hakka cuisine and very popular street food in India. These are thin noodles stir fried with garlic and tossed in chinese sauces that imparts the smoky flavors to this dish when served in restaurants. I tried many times to follow different tips and get closer to that flavor while making them at home but yet to match it restaurant style. Probably the wok which is used there for cooking as well as Chinese sauces used by chefs must be the reason to add that distinct flavor to this dish. Hopefully some day will try to get hold of it in my preparation, but till that time I am happy preparing it and making nutritious by adding lot and variety of vegetables. 




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Mixed Vegetable Upma/Rulavu

Upma or Uppittu was one amongst few easy dishes that I learnt to prepare in those beginning days of my cooking. This is a famous Indian dish made from semolina or suji/rawa traditionally served for breakfast. Rulavu is the name for upma in konkani. Rulavu with phova chutney/phovu and nylon sev is a hit breakfast combo prepared during festivals and religious ceremonies such as marriages/ engagements/thread ceremonies in a konkani household. The upma I tasted during my son's naming ceremony was best in taste till date. It was a plain one without any onions and vegetables but was so delicious that I had to check with cook [who comes from my native place] as what was his technique/ trick to prepare this plain yummy rulav and with a smile he answered in konkani language "Rulav [Semolina] layak kornu tuppantu bhaajuka ,, tupa [ghee] une korchya na ani udka [water] alte sama assuka ". What he meant is translated "The semolina needs to be roasted nicely in ghee on low flame, you should't limit the quantity of ghee [the health conscious mind of mine always tries to limit the use of ghee and hence I fail to follow this suggestion :P] and ratio of water to semolina should be correct". 

The preparation ranges from simple to number of variations such as use of different seasonings and vegetables, type of semolina, with or without onions, with or without coconut garnish, etc depending on individual preferences. So let's see the recipe of this simple and humble dish which can by rustled up in very less time. I'm sure most of you know it and prepare as per your liking, I was more eager to share the clicks here :) 



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Mooga Polo/ Whole Green Gram Dosa

After green gram dhokla, I am posting the recipe of green gram dosa. A very nutritious dish here which I prepare more often from whole green gram for the nutrition they provide, yummy and filling by itself and especially in winter months when fermentation suddenly turns out to be difficult. The below recipe doesn't require any fermentation. You can also prepare them using split green gram or sprouted ones. North Indian prepare similar type of dosa which they call as "cheelas"




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