Shaka Vratha Huri-Uddina Chutney

Ingredients

• Urad Dal (Uddina Bele) – 1 cup
• Pepper Corns – 1 tsp
• Amla Power (preferred) or Amchoor Powder – 1 tbsp
• Ghee – 1 tsp
• Salt to taste.

Method

• Take a pan, add Ghee and roast Urad Dal and Pepper Corns together.
• Once roasted add Amla (or Amchoor) Power and mix the roasted Dal while hot. Allow the mixture to cool.
• Grind the mixture with a little water & salt to make it into a paste.
• Your Huri-Uddina Chutney is now ready.

Shaka Vratha Saaru (Rasam)

Ingredients

• Pepper (Black Corns) – 1 tsp
• Jeera (Cumin Seeds) – 2 tsp
• Amchoor (Dry Mango Powder) – 1 tbsp
• Toor Dal – 1 cup
• Ghee – 1 tsp
• Jaggery (Optional) – As per taste
• Salt as per taste.

Method

• Pressure-cook Toor Dal (Togari Bele) and sift it a little – keep aside.
• Take a pan, add 1tsp of Jeera and Pepper and roast them. Coarsely powder the roasted Jeera and Pepper using a pestle.
• Take a pan, add water, to this add the Jeera & Pepper powder, Salt and Amchoor powder and bring it to boil.
• Add the Toor Dal and continue to boil. Add Jaggery at this stage.
• Heat the Ghee in a ladle and add Jeera to make Vaggarane (Tadka).
• Add this to the Saaru (Rasam).
• Your Vratha Saaru is now ready. (Happy Chaturmaasa!)

Fusion Chitranna !

Fusion Chitranna

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• Rice – 1 cup (washed & soaked)
• Peanuts – ½ a cup
• Capsicum – 1 cup diced
• Paneer – ½ cup cut into cubes.
• Channa Dal – 1 tsp
• Urad Dal – 1 tsp
• Hing – A small pinch
• Turmeric – A small pinch
• Pepper Corns – A few
• Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
• Jeera – 1 tbsp
• Ghee – 1 tsp
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Cinnamon - 1 piece
• Green Chilies – 2
• Amchur Power – 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Method

• Take a pan add Ghee, to this add Jeera and Cinnamon.
• Add soaked rice and fry. Add water and Pressure-cook the rice. Ensure is not overcooked and sticky, cool cooked rice and keep aside.
• Take a pan and add oil and heat.
• Make Vaggarane (tadaka) of Hing (Asafetida), Mustard Seeds, Urad Dal, Channa Dal & Pepper until Mustard Seeds splutter.
• To this add peanuts and roast (adding Cashews at this stage enhances taste)
• To this mixture add sliced Green Chilies.
• Now add Capsicum and stir fry. Add Salt. Add Paneer and mildly stir so that you don’t break the paneer. Keep this mixture aside. Add Amchur to add a zing of sourness.
• Add the mixture to cooled rice and mix.
• Your Fusion Chitranna is ready.

I call this ‘Fusion’ as the ingredients are a blend of North Indian Style Fried rice mixed with the key ingredients of South Indian chitraanna (mixed/coloured rice).

Fusion Chitranna packed for lunch !