Mahanandi

Living in Consciousness ~ Indi(r)a’s Food and Garden Weblog

Lobia and Sarson with Matta Rice

Black-eyed peas, Mustard Greens with Matta Rice:

There are only few American dishes that I enjoy. One of them is Hopping’ John (black-eyed peas, greens and rice). This is an African-American dish that has made it to the “Hara’s Tara”. I like the combination, but the underlying flavor melancholy is inescapable. How to add a cheerful tone to blue notes. Well, how about a mrudangam beat. These thoughts led to a new recipe, which is an amalgam of both ingredients and method.

Black-eyed peas, mustard greens and Kerala matta rice cooked together with onions and tomatoes. And the dish is flavored with fresh coconut, peppercorn and nutmeg. Though it started out like musical elements spontaneously assembled during a play, the south-Indian improvisational context imparted an orchestra effect to good old African American tradition. Mine was a solo performance, and when the single audience showed up with a serving bowl saying “encore please”, some hopping smiles sure happened.


Lobia and Sarson with Matta Rice:
(for two adults for two meals)

1-cup black-eyed peas – soaked in water overnight, and cooked to tender
1-cup matta rice (or brown rice) – soaked in 3 cups of water for 3 hours
1 bunch mustard greens – leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
1 onion, and two ripe tomatoes – finely chopped
2 garlic cloves – finely chopped

For seasoning:
2 tablespoons fresh grated coconut,
1 teaspoon black peppercorn (this dish needs some heat)
½ teaspoon each – cumin and grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon each – turmeric and salt
½ inch piece of ginger
2 tablespoons of crushed jaggery
Take them all in a Mixer. Pulse few times, first. Then add half cup of water. Blend to smooth paste.

Heat a tablespoon of peanut oil in a big pot. Add and sauté garlic and onion to pale-red. Add tomatoes and sauté to soft. Add the mustard greens and cook until leaves start to collapse. Add the rice and the water it soaked in. Cover the pot and on medium heat, cook the rice until it’s al-dente or just tender. Now add the precooked black-eyed peas. And also the spice paste. Stir-in another cup of water if the dish looks too dry. Mix. Have a taste and adjust salt to your liking. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve hot with papadums on the side. Makes a great tasting one-pot meal.

Vegetarian Hopping John
India Inspired Hopping John ~ Meal Today

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Blackeye Beans,Rosematta Rice,Sarson (Mustard Greens) (Thursday April 24, 2008 at 5:40 pm- permalink)
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Rosematta Atukula Upma

Upma with rice flakes or poha, also known as “Atukula Upma” in Telugu, is a favorite at thousands of road-side stalls specializing in serving quick meals in Andhra, India. The preparation starts with sautéing of vegetables, seasoning and then moistened poha is added. Cilantro, lime juice and roasted peanuts are the garnish, and it is served hot with a side order of coffee or tea. For centuries, this common food fare is a “fills the belly and wards off the hunger” kind of morning meal whether one works as a tenured servant or as a daily laborer.

For our meal today, I have prepared the upma with rosematta poha. The red colored rosematta rice grains which have been parboiled, are flattened by heavy rollers, then dried naturally. This produces coral colored rosematta poha with pronounced nutty taste, which is just addictive. Keeping up with the upcoming season and the festivals, I have added green chickpea sprouts and pistachios to upma. Coral and green, it was a good meal.


Rosematta Atukulu and Green Chickpea Sprouts

Recipe:
(makes a sparse meal for two)

2 cups Poha (atukulu, rice flakes)
1 red onion or 3 small shallots – finely chopped
3 – Indian or Thai variety green chillies – finely chopped
1 cup – chickpea sprouts (small brown or green variety)
¼ cup – roasted and unsalted pistachios (or peanuts)
¼ cup – finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

for seasoning:
1 tablespoon – peanut oil
1 tablespoon – urad dal – toasted dal tastes wonderful in upma
¼ teaspoon each – cumin and mustard seeds
1 sprig – fresh curry leaves
¼ teaspoon – turmeric
Salt and lime juice to taste

Heat oil in a wide skillet. When oil starts to shimmer, add and toast curry leaves, urad dal, cumin & mustard seeds- in that order. When seeds start to pop, add the onion, chilli and chickpea sprouts. Saute to tender, for about five minutes.

Add the pistachios and cilantro. Sprinkle turmeric and salt. Mix.

While they are cooking, add poha to water and submerge for about 30 seconds. Quickly drain into a colander, or with your hands remove and add the poha to the skillet. (This is done to moisten the poha and do not keep them in water for long. They’ll lose the bite and turn to mushy.)

Toss to mix, and stir-fry for two to three minutes. Serve hot.

Atukula Upma with Chicory Coffee
Worshipping the Verdant Season with Coral Atukula Upma

Health Labels:
Traditional India-Vegan, Diet-friendly
Rosematta Poha: Carbohydrates, the complex kind
Chickpea Sprouts: Protein and Vitamins
Pistachios – Hormone-free fat
Spices – Digestion-aid and for well-being

Notes:
Tomatoes, beans, grated fresh coconut etc are also added to the poha upma.
Rosematta poha, purchased at Apna Bazar, Bellevue, WA.
Rosematta Poha Snack – the sweet kind, from Kerala.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Amma & Authentic Andhra,Poha (Atukulu),Rosematta Rice (Tuesday March 11, 2008 at 6:03 pm- permalink)
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Jihva for Toor Dal ~ Bisi Bele Huli Anna

Bisi Bele Huli Anna

They see each other everyday.

Unassuming and simple, darling daughter of lentil family – the golden Toor Dal.

The upright, some even call almighty – the proud and pristine Rice.

A hill of rice on a banana leaf, and a ladle full of dal next to it. Served and seated next to each other, the attraction between them was instantaneous and electric. It hasn’t escaped the wise hostess notice. The marriage was inevitable. Nourishing vegetables and sensual spices were added for a seductive liveliness. Under the sacred fire, they seized to be toor dal and rice, instead became Bisi Bele Huli Anna. “A match made in heaven, for good times and for hard times”, people praised the joyful union.

Bisi bele huli anna. Yes, all would be all right!

That was the “once upon a time” story for Bisi Bele Huli Anna, the famous south-Indian comfort food. Originated in Karnataka region of India, the rustic and rural Bisi bele huli anna with its uncomplicated, unfettered and fundamental recipe has many fans. From children to very elderly, many Bharatiya find delight in this humble food.

This week’s cold snap made Bisi bele hule anna a prudent choice for us. And, I remembered I had a jarful of Rosematta rice. The plump, terracotta colored rice from Kerala region absorbs flavors very well and I know that toor dal will be swooning in Rosematta company. My preparation started with fresh Bisi bele ground masala and cutting up the vegetables. We can add any number of vegetables and I went with gawar beans, red bell pepper, red onions, peas and carrots. The Bisi bele huli anna turned out to be a delightful meal. Long live Bisi Bele Huli Anna!

Rosematta Rice, Toor Dal, Vegetables and Bisi bele Masala
Rosematta Rice, Toor Dal, Vegetables and Bisi Bele Masala ~ for Bisi Bele Huli Anna

Recipe:

1 cup Rosematta rice
1 cup toor dal (Kandi Pappu)
3 cups cut vegetables (beans, carrots, peas and peppers etc)
2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
1 tablespoon jaggery
½ teaspoon each – turmeric and salt
2 tablespoons – Bisi bele masala (Homemade or store-bought)
Popu or tadka ingredients:
(12 Curry leaves, pinch each- cumin, mustard seeds and hing)

Take rice and toor dal in a wide pot. Add about 6 cups of water. Cook the dal and rice to very tender. Gently mix and mush them. I resorted to pressure-cooking, but back at home, they cook it for an hour or so on slow heat. Results in superb taste.

While the rice and dal are cooking, in another big vessel, heat a tablespoon ghee or oil. Add and toast the tadka ingredients (curry leaves, cumin, mustard seeds and hing).

To the tadka, add the cut vegetables and saute. When they start to get tender, add the tamarind pulp, jaggery, turmeric and salt. Also the cooked and mashed rosematta rice-toor dal mixture. Stir in the masala along with two cups of water. Combine well. Have a taste and adjust the spices to your liking. Cover the pot and simmer for about ten to fifteen minutes on medium-low heat.

Serve hot with a teaspoon of ghee drizzled and with papads.

Bisi Bele Bhath
Bisi Bele Huli Anna with Papad ~ My Jihva for Toor Dal and Our Meal Today

Recipe Notes:
Rosematta idea from My Chow Chow Bhath. Brown rice or brown basmati also works well for this recipe.
My recipe for Bisi bele masala:
5 dried red chillies, 1 tablespoon each- chana dal & coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon each -cloves, cinnamon, methi seeds and black peppercorn. Dry roast. Cool. Then take them in a Sumeet Mixer or blender. Add 2 tablespoons of freshly grated coconut and pinch of salt. Grind to fine consistency.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Biyyamu (Rice),Rosematta Rice,Toor Dal (Tuesday November 13, 2007 at 3:35 pm- permalink)
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Vegetarian Congee with Rosematta and Yuba

I’ve been experimenting different recipes with Rosematta rice (the terracotta colored rice variety from Kerala, India).

In addition to the traditional steam-cooked Rosematta rice, I’ve made Rosematta pongal and Rosematta idly so far. Everything turned out excellent. Rosematta truly brings wholesome and wholegrain rosy goodness to a meal. The Chocolate Lady seems to agree with me. Check out her Rosematta rice and cashew matar meal combination.

One another recipe I wanted to try with Rosematta is vegetarian congee. Congee or ganji is little amount of rice simmered in large quantities of water to a creamy porridge. At its most fundamental, congee is rice water, flavored with buttermilk or coconut milk, chilli and salt. For today’s meal I dressed up the Rosematta congee with vegetables and Yuba (The thick cream that forms on the top of simmering soy milk is removed in layers, sun-dried and rolled into sheets). Add few pieces, the yuba will soak up the saaram, become soft and taste like milk meegada. A neat protein delicacy popularized by Buddhist monks, I gathered.

Sometimes you have to spend hours in the kitchen to make a remarkable meal. Sometimes it becomes effortless, today is one such day. Rosematta and yuba together made a hearty vegetarian congee. We loved our soothing, simple supper.

Broken Rosematta Rice and Yuba
Coarsely Milled Rosematta Rice Grains and Yuba (Soymilk Meegada, Bean Curd Sticks)

Recipe:

1 cup – coarsely milled (broken) Rosematta rice
½ cup yuba (bean curd sticks, broken to one-inch length pieces)
½ cup each – cut pieces of carrot and ridge gourd (turai, beerakaya)
6 cups water and 1 cup milk.
1 teaspoon peanut oil or ghee
Seasoning:
6 fresh curry leaves
1 tablespoon ginger juice (Grate or crush the ginger & squeeze.)
1 teaspoon – coarsely crushed black pepper
½ teaspoon salt or to taste

In a big pot, heat ghee or oil.
Add and saute curry leaves, black pepper, carrot and ridge gourd pieces 2mts.
Add the yuba, Rosematta rice, water and milk.
Stir in salt and ginger juice.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
When the congee becomes thick and creamy, turn off the heat.
Serve warm. Tastes great with pickle.


Vegetarian Congee with Rosematta and Yuba ~ Our Meal Today

Notes:
Homemade Yuba ~ Recipe
Rosematta rice ~ Broken variety purchased at Apna Bazar, Bellevue
Yuba (Bean Curd Sticks) at Uwajimaya or also at Chinese grocery.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Beera kaaya(Ridge Gourd),Biyyamu (Rice),Rosematta Rice,Soy (Tofu, Yuba) (Wednesday July 18, 2007 at 9:23 pm- permalink)
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Rosematta Idly

This Image is Copyrighted and Property of www.nandyala.org/mahanandi. Do Not Steal
Rosematta Rice and Idly Batter

Imagine munching on the fluffy clouds. That was my experience of Rosematta idlies.

Rosematta rice, the ancient terracotta colored rice from Kerala region of India and the nutritional urad dal are soaked and ground together. After overnight fermentation, the batter is steam-cooked in a special saucer like molds. The result is pinkish-white idlies that are lightweight, delicate and fluffy. They are worth preparing just to take in the breathtaking pale pink color alone. Of course, it also helps that they taste wonderfully good the way idlies should taste.

Rosematta idlies are truly for nostalgic dreamers only, the ones who find munching on the clouds a familiar thing to do.

This Image is Copyrighted and Property of www.nandyala.org/mahanandi. Do Not Steal
Rosematta Rice and Urad Dal ~ After Six hours of Water Soaking

Recipe:
(for 12 to 16 idlies)

2 cups Rosematta rice
1 cup urad dal
Idly molds for steam-cooking

Soak rice and urad dal in about 6 cups of water for about 6 hours. Drain the water and grind to silky smooth consistency using a stone grinder or blender. Remove and keep the batter covered in a warm place, overnight or for about 8 hours. Fermentation happens naturally, and yeast/baking soda etc are not used in this traditional method. The batter doubles in size and small bubbles appear in the batter. That means time to cook idlies.

Add one teaspoon of salt to the batter and mix thoroughly. Pour the batter into idly mold impressions and steam-cook, following the method described in detail here. When the batter turns from runny to firm, remove the mold and using a spoon carefully separate idlies from the impressions.

Serve hot. Coconut or peanut chutney and shallot sambar is the usual accompaniments to idlies.

This Image is Copyrighted and Property of www.nandyala.org/mahanandi. Do Not Steal
Rosematta Idly with Coconut Chutney ~ Our Weekend Brunch

Notes:
Rosematta rice, also known as Kerala Red Rice is avialable in Indian grocery shops here in US.
Recipe Idea : From My Brain

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Biyyamu (Rice),Rosematta Rice (Monday May 21, 2007 at 3:33 pm- permalink)
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Curry Leaves and Ganji

Biyyam Karivepaaku Ganji:


Curry Leaves

I think curry leaves are nature’s helping way to make our cooking better, one meal at a time. How? – You might ask. Nature picked the prettiest shade of green, selected a pleasing shape and packed the most enticing scent known to mankind, and the result is the curry leaves. Add few leaves while cooking, even the mundane daily dishes become magnificent with minimum effort. Example is ganji. Ganji, Kanji, Congee, Jook or Okayu, not only several names, there are also different ways of ganji preparation across Asia. Almost in all recipes in India, curry leaves are added. The elixir of life needs curry leaves perfume.

Inspired by Mathy Kandasamy’s recipe and Ammini Ramachandran’s article, I have prepared ganji for our meal today. I changed the method little bit to suit my taste. I cooked Rosematta rice (the wholesome red rice from Kerala) in lots of water. I have also added curry leaves along with ginger and green chillies. (Adding them in the beginning is what I did different.) Once the rice is cooked, the rice water is drained and saved. To this nutrient packed, curry leaves-ginger infused rice water, I’ve added little bit of coconut milk. The result is a pleasant, pale-pink colored ganji. It’s been ages since I had a taste of ganji and my ganji meal today did not disappoint me. Rosematta goodness and curry leaves fragrance gave the ganji a distinctive and appealing flavor. A must try for fans of curry leaves and Rosematta.


Rosematta Rice, Curry Leaves and Shallot (Erra Gadda)

Recipe:

1 cup Rosematta rice
8 cups water
12-15 curry leaves, finely chopped
4 to 5 green chillies – finely chopped
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
½ teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of coconut milk – homemade or store-bought

Take Rosematta rice in a big vessel. Wash first and then add about 8 cups of water. Sprinkle finely chopped curry leaves, green chillies, grated ginger and salt. Mix. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and let it simmer, until the rice cooked to tender. Takes about 30 to 40 minutes.

The cooked rice water will be simmered down to about 4 cups. Lightly concentrated and infused with Rosematta, curry leaves and ginger goodness – ganji is ready for the final touch. Using a colander, drain rice into a big pot and save the rice water (ganji).

To this ganji, add coconut milk and mix. Adjust salt to your liking. Drink the ganji warm.

when times are hard, people have known to depend on ganji for sustenance. Also, it’s a blessing to people who wants to cut back on consumption. Exhaustng times or greedy glutton times, ganji is a great way to start a meal – any meal, that’s how I felt. No wonder, even to this day ganji is continued to be “Asia’s Bowl full of Comfort”.


Curry Leaves Infused Ganji – The Elixir of Life for JFI-WBB:Greens


Ganji and Rosematta Rice with Brinjal Curry ~ Our Meal Today

Notes:
Congee: Asia’s Bowl full of Comfort ~ Informative article by Ammini Ramachandran
Recipe source: Virundhu of Mathy Kandasamy
Ganji is a Telugu word for Kanji, or Congee. Ganji tastes great when made with broken parboiled rice.
Traditonally cooked rice, buttermilk, small shallots and fresh cilantro are also added to ganji.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Amma & Authentic Andhra,Biyyamu (Rice),Karivepaaku(Curry Leaf),Rosematta Rice,The Essentials (Friday April 27, 2007 at 1:26 pm- permalink)
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Vegetable Pongal ~ A Pleasing Meal

I admit, I really like saying the word “Pongal”. Try it. Once more, “Pongal”. Isn’t that fun? I knew you would agree. And we love pongal. No sense in denying it, we are pongal worshippers. Rice and moong dal cooked to creamy moist tenderness with ghee inspired countless people to gush, and I am no exception.

As you can imagine, we are always looking for pongal recipes that will excite our finicky tastebuds. Boy, we cooked one today. Pongal with mixed vegetables and cashews, flavored with ginger and ghee. A filling one-pot meal with minimum effort. Sounds superb, doesn’t it? Now imagine that decadent creamy pongal warmly melting in your mouth with each bite. I promise, it really is as good as it sounds. Even better!

Secret is all in the rice. Pick brown/unpolished or parboiled varieties for maximum ruchi and I found that Kerala red rice (or Rosematta rice – an unpolished red rice from India, cultivated since ancient times in Kerala and Tamilnadu regions) is the supreme, healthy choice for this recipe.


Kerala Red Rice+Roasted Yellow Moong Dal, Vegetables, Curry leaves, Ginger and Coriander Leaves

Recipe:

Half cup – Kerala red rice (Rosematta rice)
Half cup – yellow moong dal
Two cups – cut vegetables
Half cup – roasted cashews
Ten curry leaves and few sprigs of fresh coriander leaves
One teaspoon each – cumin, minced ginger, peppercorn, turmeric and salt
Two tablespoons – ghee

Dry roast yellow moong dal to pale brown on low heat, in an iron skillet. Remove, mix with Kerala red rice. Wash gently with water then drain quickly.

Prepare vegetables to bite sized pieces. My choice was – ridge gourd (turai), carrot, red bell pepper, one each and a fistful of fresh corn and peas. For spicy punch, I added 4 green chillies-finely chopped.

When you are ready to cook – heat ghee in a large, heavy-based pan.

Add curry leaves first and then cumin and ginger. Saute to gold color.
Add the cut vegetables, coriander leaves. Saute for about 5 minutes.
Add the Kerala red rice and moong dal.
Add 6 cups of water and 1 cup of milk.
Coarsely crush peppercorn and add along with salt and turmeric.

Mix. Cover and simmer on medium heat, stirring occasionally.

After about 20 to 30 minutes, the grains will be tenderly soft and there will still little bit of liquid (at least half cup) left in the pot. Turn off the heat at this stage and add the roasted cashews. Mix and serve this liquid kanji (ganji) like vegetable pongal immediately.

Vegetable Pongal
Vegetable Pongal ~ Our Afternoon Meal Today


Kerala Red Rice (Rosematta Rice) -Available in Indian grocery shops
Traditional Pongali – Recipe

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Beera kaaya(Ridge Gourd),Biyyamu (Rice),Moong Dal (Washed),Rosematta Rice (Tuesday January 30, 2007 at 1:49 pm- permalink)
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Rosematta rice and dal

Rosematta Rice ~ Traditional Rice of India
Rosematta Rice ~ Traditional Rice of India

The first time I heard about rosematta rice is at InjiPennu’s Ginger and Mango’s blog. This is the reason why food blogs rock. They can highlight a completely regional ingredient and make it accessible to those of us interested.

After reading her post, I thought I should try this beautiful pinkish grain at least once in my lifetime and fortunately I was able to purchase the rice at Indian grocery shops here in Seattle. Before blogging I wanted to know more about this rice. Sadly, there is not that much out there on the web. I couldn’t find even a single article or a photo (except for InjiPennus’s article) written on this traditional rice of India. Instead, what I found was umpteen articles on how mughals influenced Indian cooking etc, you know the same old, tiring typical things, authors of Indian cuisine focus on. Learning history is a good thing I agree but I do wish there were more articles on foods like rosematta rice that are unique and traditional to India. If there is anyone out there who knows the detailed history and irrigating areas of this rice, wants to share, it’d be my pleasure to publish your article on Mahanandi.

Rosematta rice also known as Palakkadan matta rice or Kerala Red Rice
Rosematta Rice – Raw and Cooked

Well, here is my experience of rosematta rice (also known as Palakkadan matta rice or Kerala red rice) – The raw grain is short and plump. It has brownish red, more like watered down terracotta color. There is 3 to 5 thick dark terracotta colored vertical streaks on the grain. I am guessing this is the outer bran of the grain, which will be lost if they polish this rice.

When it comes to preparation, I have prepared it little bit differently from my regular rice (Sona Masuri). First I took and let the water boil in a big pot and then added the rosematta rice to this boiling water. Partially covered the vessel with a lid and cooked the rice until the rice is soft and water evaporated. The measurements I used were 3 cups of water for 1 cup of rosematta rice. The time it took to prepare was about 20 minutes. Result is superior quality rice in a pale rose hue. I would describe its taste as earthy and gutsy, more pronounced than the regular white rice and with a nutty overtone. I loved the ruchi of it mixed with the dal.

Many thanks to dear InjiPennu for introducing this rice to me. I am glad that I tried and planning to prepare it atleast once a week from now on at my home. Brown rice doesn’t have to be boring, you can surely say that with this terracotta colored, traditional Indian rice.


Rosematta Rice with Moongdal Rasam

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Biyyamu (Rice),Rosematta Rice (Monday October 30, 2006 at 2:24 pm- permalink)
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Rosematta Rice


‘Rosematta’ Rice From kerala and Tamilnadu
An Ancient Grain of India ~ For This Week’s “Indian Kitchen”

Purchased from Seattle Indian grocery shops
How to cook rose matta rice – recipe

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Biyyamu (Rice),Indian Ingredients,Indian Kitchen,Rosematta Rice (Sunday October 29, 2006 at 2:42 pm- permalink)
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