Badanekai Ennegai (Spicy Coconut Stuffed Aubergine)

What is Ennegai?


Ingredients
Putta Badanekai (Baby Aubergine): 1 kg
Enne (Oil): 3-4 tbsp


for Roasting & Grinding
Thenginakai (Coconut): 1 cup (grated)
Ona Menasu (Dried Red Chillies): 3-4
Kothambari Beeja (Coriander Seeds): 1 tsp
Jeerige (Cumin Seeds): 1 tsp
Menthe (Fenugreek Seeds): 1/2 tsp
Huli (Tamarind): a marble-sized piece
Bella (Jaggary): a small piece
Uppu (Salt): to taste
Enne (Oil): 1 tsp



Method
Make 2 slits on the Aubergines such that it has 4 sections with its stalk still holding it intact. In a wide  pan/wok, roast in oil the ingredients in set 2. Grind them and Fill them into the slits made in the Aubergines. Heat oil again in the wide pan/wok and place the aubergines in it. Shallow fry them in a low flame until they are cooked inside and the outer layer has turned a bit crispy. Serve hot with chapati, rotti or rice.

Variation 

• If baby aubergines are not readily available, use the bigger one, chopped. Saute them in oil and add the ground paste at the end. Saute further 5 mins.
• This recipe can be made with Bendekai (Okra), Green Beans, DoNNE Menasu (Capsicum), etc.
• For Hagalkai (Bitter Gourd) version, boil chopped pieces in water, jaggary and tamarind until all the water has evaporated. This removes the bitterness. Grind rest of the ingredients and follow the same recipe.

Jolada Rotti (Corn/Maize Flat Bread)

What is Jolada Rotti?

Ingredients
Jolada Hittu (Corn or Maize Flour): 2 cups
Neeru (Water): as much to make a stiff dough
Uppu (Salt): to taste


Method

In a large bowl, mix all of the above ingredients using as little water as possible to obtain a stiff dough. Make small balls of it and using a rotti press or just your palm, press evenly the ball into a flat shape (1 mm thick approx) on a greased baking paper or a banana leaf. Heat a tawa or flat pan and gently transfer the rotti onto it with the greased baking paper or banana leaf on top. You can peel back the greased baking paper or banana leaf after the rotti has been on tawa for few seconds. Cook the rotti (with/without oil) till both sides are crispy. Serve with butter, chutney, chutney powder, thokku, ennegai, etc.

Variations: Grated or chopped vegetables or greens can be added to the dough. Popular versions are Tomato, Carrot, Moolangi  (Radish), Menthe Soppu (Fenugreek Leaves), Neerulli (Onion), Hasi Menasu (Green Chilli), Jeerige (Cumin Seeds), Thenginakai (Coconut), Karibevu (Curry Leaves), Kottambari Soppu (Coriander Leaves), etc.

P.S: 

• If Corn or Maize Flour is not readily available, use Corn or Maize Meal and Rice or Wheat Flour in 3:1 ratio.  
• Refer to Akki Rotti to see photos of how to make Rotti.

Akki Rotti (Rice Flat Bread)

What is Akki Rotti?

Ingredients
Akki Hittu (Rice Flour): 2 cups
Neerulli (Onion): 1 (chopped)
Hasi Menasu (Green Chilli): 2 (chopped)
Jeerige (Cumin Seeds): 1 tsp
Thenginakai (Coconut): 1 cup (grated)
Karibevu (Curry Leaves): 1 handful (chopped)
Kottambari Soppu (Coriander Leaves): few strands (chopped)
Neeru (Water): as much to make a stiff dough
Uppu (Salt): to taste


Method
In a large bowl, mix all of the above ingredients using as little water as possible to obtain a stiff dough.

Make small balls of it and using a rotti press or just your palm, press evenly the ball into a flat shape (1 mm thick approx) on a greased baking paper or a banana leaf.

Heat a tawa or flat pan and gently transfer the rotti onto it with the greased baking paper or banana leaf on top. 

You can peel back the greased baking paper or banana leaf after the rotti has been on tawa for few seconds.

Cook the rotti (with/without oil) till both sides are crispy.

Serve with butter, chutney, chutney powder, thokku, etc.

Variations: Grated or chopped vegetables or greens can be added to the dough. Popular versions are Tomato, Carrot, Moolangi (Radish), Menthe Soppu (Fenugreek Leaves), etc.

Dosa (Rice and Lentil Pancake)

What is Dosa?

Ingredients
Akki (Rice): 4 cups
Uddina BeLe (Black Gram Lentil): 2 cups
Neeru (Water): enough to make a batter
Uppu (Salt): to taste


Method
Soak the rice and lentil separately in water for 4 hours. Drain and grind each separately into a thick smooth paste using little water. Then mix both batters and salt. Cover and leave to ferment (6-8 hrs). 


Heat non-stick tawa (flat pan) and pour a ladle-full of batter on it, making it round and flat. Cover with a lid and cook for 1-2 minutes. 1 tsp of oil can be smeared on top and the dosa can be roasted on the flip side (optional). Serve hot with chutney, sambar, butter/ghee, chutney powder, etc.


Variations: 

• for Manjal Dosa (Yellow Dosa), add turmeric powder to the batter. This dosa is prepared for breakfast on the 1st day of Diwali, which is also called Makkala Habba (Children's festival). Turmeric is added to make it bright and colourful esp. for kids!
• for Kai Dosa (Coconut Dosa), add grated coconut to the batter or sprinkle it on top of the dosa before it cooks.
• for Neerulli Dose (Onion Dosa), add chopped onion to the batter or sprinkle it on top of the dosa before it cooks.
• for Set Dosa (thick Dosa), just pour the batter on tawa, do not make the dosa flat, add 1 tsp of oil onto the dosa before it cooks.
• for Paper Dosa (thin Dosa), make the dosa as flat as possible, smear 1 tsp of oil onto the dosa after it cooks and roast till it is very crisp.
• for Masala Dosa (stuffed Dosa), once dosa is cooked, fill with desired palya (filling) and fold dosa in half. Popular one is Potato+onion filling.

Idli/Kottige (Rice and Lentil Dumpling)

What is Idli?

Ingredients
Akki (Rice): 4 cups
Uddina BeLe (Black Gram Lentil): 2 cups
Neeru (Water): enough to make a batter
Uppu (Salt): to taste


Method
Soak the rice and lentil separately in water for 4 hours. Drain and grind each separately into a thick smooth paste using little water. Then mix both batters and salt. Cover and leave to ferment (6-8 hrs). 

Pour the batter into Idli mold or any greased bowl and steam for 5-6 minutes. Serve hot with Chutney, Sambhar, Butter/Ghee, Chutney Powder, etc.


Variations: 

• for Kottige/Moode, pour the batter into wrappings of banana or jackfruit leaves or greased steel tumbler and steam.
• for Thatte Idli, use greased plate.