Appe/ guliyappa/ paddu/ gulpanglu recipe

I learned this recipe of appe from my mom. She makes delicious appe. Appe is best enjoyed with coconut chutney or fried grams chutney.

It's a south Indian breakfast dish made with a rice and urad dal batter. With this same batter you can also make dosa.

Ingredients -

1. Sona masuri rice - 2 cups
2. Urad dal (Black lentil dal) - 1 cup
3. Thin poha (Avalakki) - 1/2 cup
4. Chopped onion - 2 nos.
5. Chopped coriander leaves - 3/4 cup
6. Chopped green chillies - 2
7. Cumin seeds - 1 Tb spoon
9. Ginger paste - 1 Tb spoon
10. Little oil to add in the moulds

Procedure -

1. Wash rice and urad dal and soak separately for 5 to 6 hours. Cove it with a lid.

2. Drain the water from rice and blend it to smooth paste and pour it in a deep bottomed large utensil.

3. Now blend the urad dal and thin flaked rice (Avalakki) to smooth paste. You can keep the required amount of water in urad dal for blending.

4. Pour the urad dal paste in the rice paste and mix well.

5. Cover with a lid and keep it for 11 to 12 hours.

6. After 11 to 12 hours you can see the batter has risen well.

7. Now add chopped onion, cumin seeds. ginger paste, chopped green chillies, chopped coriander leaves and salt. Mix well.

8. Now place the appe mould on medium heat and add 1/2 tea spoon oil in each circle.

 9. Once the oil turns hot pour the batter in each mould with the help of large spoon.

10. Reduce the flame to low and cover with a lid 2 to 3 minutes.

11. Now open the lid. Once you open the lid you can see that the appe are cooked from the top and bottom.

12. Slowly flip the appe upside down with the help of spoon and keep it on low flame for another minute.

13. Remove the appe with spoon and serve hot with coconut chutney or Fried grams chutney.

Coconut chutney

Coconut chutney is famous in south India and is almost eaten with many breakfast dishes. Its consumed with idli, dosa, paddu, set dosa, medu vada, etc.

Coconut chutney has to be eaten fresh. If you have made coconut chutney in the morning and want to consume it in the evening then keep it in a fridge else your chutney starts smelling and spoiling. Its better to consume it in a day or two.

Once the coconut chutney is done, for sourness you can add lemon juice or 2 Tb spoon of curd (For the above quantity)

Preparation time - 30 minutes

Serves - 3

Ingredients -

1. Fresh chopped coconut - 1 cup
2. Fried grams - 2 Tb spoon
3. Roasted groundnuts - 3 Tb spoon
4. Green chilly - 1
5. Garlic - 3 to 4 pods
6. Ginger - 1/2 inch
7. Fresh coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
8. Sugar - 1 tea spoon
9. Salt

For Tempering -

1. Oil - 3 Tb spoon
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
3. Cumin seeds - 1 tea spoon
4. Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tea spoon
5. Curry leaves - 1 string
6. Red chillies - 3
7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon

Procedure -

1. In a bowl add coconut, fried grams, groundnuts, green chilly, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves, sugar and salt. Mix well.

2. Grind to a smooth consistency. Transfer it in a bowl and keep aside.

3. For tempering, in a pan, add oil and once the oil turns hot add mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds splutter then add cumin seeds.

4. Now add red chillies and fry it on medium flame for 30 seconds.

5. Add curry leaves and asafoetida powder and turn off the flame.

6. Now add turmeric powder, stir and immediately pour it on the coconut chutney.

7. Serve with dosa, Idli, paddu or medu vada.

Baingan bharta

Baingan bharta is a popular Indian dish prepared in almost all parts of India.

In this recipe, eggplant is roasted on the direct fire to give a distinct smoky flavor. I have roasted the egg plant directly on the gas burner but if you wish to roast it in oven you can but you will not have that unique smoky flavor.

It is very important to choose a fresh eggplant. Fresh eggplant roasts and cooks faster. Don't pick the eggplant with dry, spotty or wrinkly skin.

I have not added tomatoes in this recipe but if you wish to you can.

Preparation time - 45 minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients -

1. Eggplant (Brinjal) - 1
2. Onion - 2 (Medium size)
3. Oil - 4 Tb spoon
4. Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
5. Cumin seeds - 1 tea spoon
6. Ginger garlic paste - 3/4 Tb spoon
7. Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon
8. Chilly powder - 1 Tb spoon
9. Green chilly - 1
10. Coriander powder - 3/4 Tb spoon
11. Garam masala powder - 1 tea spoon
12. Coriander leaves to garnish
13. Salt

Procedure -

1. Finely chop onions and keep aside.

2. Pick fresh eggplant. Wash under running water and wipe with a clean cotton cloth. 

3. Grease the eggplant with oil.

4. Once the greasing is done place the eggplant on the burner for roasting.

5. Keep turning the eggplant after every 2 to 3 minutes or till each side is roasted properly. Once the eggplant is completely roasted, transfer it on a plate.

6. Once the roasted eggplant cools down, slowly remove the skin.

 

7. Mash the eggplant and keep aside.

8. In a frying pan add oil. Once the oil turns hot add mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds splutter nicely.

9. Now add cumin seeds and ginger garlic paste. Stir for 30 seconds.

10. Add chopped onion and chopped chillies. Fry till the onion turn translucent.

11. Now add turmeric powder, chilly powder and coriander powder. Stir on low flame for a minute.

12. Now add mashed eggplant and mix well.

13. Stir on low flame for a minute. Add garam masala powder and salt and mix well. Cover with a lid for a minute.

14. Open the lid and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapati or puri.

Dum Biryani (Veg)

Dum is a slow cooking method, introduced by Mughal to India. The word 'biryani' is an urdu word originated from Persian language.

Biryani is usually cooked in 'handi'. I cook it in a Cooker without the cooker lid and it's delicious. For the dum process in cooker you just have to place a lid (not the cooker lid) on top of cooker and place a heavy utensil on top of the lid or seal the lid with dough and cook it on low flame.

Its very important not to boil the rice completely. This will spoil your entire biryani dish turning it soft and soggy. 

Preparation time - 2 hours

Serves -5

Ingrediants -

To boil the rice - 

1. Basmati rice - 500 gms
2. Water - 3 glass
3. Cinnamon stick - 1
4. Bay leaf - 2
5. Cardamom - 2


Veggies -

1. Sliced onion lengthwise - 4
2. Sliced tomatoes lengthwise - 3
3. Cleaned and chopped cauliflower florets - 3/4 cup
4.Green peas - 1/2 cup
5. Diced potatoes - 1
6. Chopped beans - 3/4 th cup
7. Sliced carrots lengthwise - 3/4 th cup
8. Chopped mint leaves - 3/4 cup
9. Green chillies - 2
10. Ginger garlic paste - 2 Tb spoon
11. Oil - 4 Tb spoon (To fry the remaining sliced onion at the end)


Dairy products -


1. Yogurt - 3/4 th cup
2. Milk - 1/4 th cup
3. Saffron - 8 to 9 strings (Optional)
4. Ghee (Clarified butter) - 5 Tb spoon





For masala -

1. Biryani masala powder - 3 Tb spoon
2. Turmeric powder - 2 Tea spoon
3. Chilly powder - 1 & 1/2 Tb spoon

Nuts - 

1. Cashew nuts (cut half lengthwise) - 1/4 th cup
2. Sultanas -  1/4th cup
3. Ghee or oil - 2 Tb spoon

I did not add sultanas in biryani but if you wish to you can.

Procedure - 

1. Mix saffron in the milk and keep aside.

For boiling the rice -

1. Wash basmati rice under running water and soak it in water for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside.

2. In a handi or cooker pot add water and place it on high flame. Add cinnamon stick, bayleaf and cardamom. Once the water starts boiling reduce the heat to medium and add washed rice and stir. Do not cover it with the lid.

3. Boil it till the water is completely gone and the rice is almost done. Make sure your rice should be almost done but not completely done.

4.  Once the rice is almost done turn off the flame and slowly with a spatula or spoon transfer it on a plate or colander. Insert the spoon from the sides of the handi or cooker pot and not from the middle as this may cause breaking of the rice granules.

5. Once you transfer it in a plate allow it to cool and with your fingers gently break the rice lumps and keep aside.

For vegetable gravy -

1. In a kadhai, add 4 and 1/2 Tb spoon ghee. Once the ghee melts add 3 sliced onion and fry on medium heat for 2 minutes or till it turns translucent.

2. Add tomatoes and stir. Cook on medium heat till the tomatoes are completely cooked.

3. Add ginger garlic paste and stir for 30 seconds on medium flame.

4. Slit the green chillies and add in the kadhai stirring for another 30 seconds.

5. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder and biryani masala powder. Stir for a minute on medium flame.

6. Turn the flame to low and add carrots and potatoes and stir. Add 3 Tb spoon water and cover with a lid. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or till the veggies are almost cooked.

7. Now add cleaned cauliflower florets, green peas and salt. Stir and cover with a lid for another minute.

8. Add chopped mint leaves stir and cover with lid for another minute keeping the flame on low.

9. Add yogurt, stir and turn off the flame.

10. Now the vegetable gravy is ready. Cover with a lid and keep aside.

12. In another pan add ghee or oil and fry the cashews and sultanas till golden color.

13. Take out the fried cashews and sultanas in a bowl and keep aside.

For layering and assembling - 

14. Grease the handi or cooker container with half a Tb spoon of ghee.

16. Keep the handi on a low flame and add 1/3 vegetable gravy at the bottom of the handi. On top of the gravy add 1/3 basmati rice.

16. Sprinkle 1/3 saffron milk on top of the rice.

17. Add 1/3 fried cashews and sultanas on top of the rice. Sprinkle chopped mint leaves and the first layer is ready.

17. For second layer again add 1/3 vegetable gravy on top of the rice. Add 1/3 rice on the gravy and sprinkle with 1/3 saffron milk. Add 1/3 fried nuts and sprinkle with chopped mint leaves.

18. Repeat the same process for the third layer by adding nuts, mint and saffron milk at the end of the process on top of the rice.

 19. Cover with a lid. Ensure that the lid fits your handi properly so that there is no steam coming out of the handi / cooker pot while cooking. On top of the lid place a big utensil filled with water. This is necessary so that the steam doesn't pass out of the handi.

20. I usually follow the above process to make dum biryani. You can also knead a dough and seal the lid with it.

21. Let it cook on low flame for 8 to 10 minutes. Ensure you keep the flame on low.

22. Place tawa on another burner with high flame. Let the tawa heat completely.

23. Once the tawa is burning hot, reduce the flame to low and carefully lift the handi from the burner (Do not open the lid but while shifting the handi on tawa if you wish to, you can take out the heavy utensil and keep it back after placing the handi on tawa) and keep it on tawa and let it cook for another 15 minutes.

23. Mean while in the same oil/ghee which was used for frying cashews, add remaining sliced onion and fry until golden brown.

24. After 15 minutes turn off the flame and let it sit on tawa for another 10 minutes.

25. Now take out the heavy utensil and lid. Serve the delicious hot veg dum biryani with raita and garnish with fried golden brown onions.