Pineapple Keshar Bhaat(Pineapple Rice Pudding/Zarda)

Kesar/Keshar/Zaffran/Safron is an exotic spice that has Greco-Persian origin. Stigma of Saffron flower are hand picked, dried and packed in small boxes holding one gram or slightly more in the autumn months when it grows in abundance. Kashmir is also very famous for Kesar cultivation. We get pure gold seal saffron round the year, thanks to global marketing. Kesar is widely used in cooking especially in sweets and desserts. Some of the Kashmiri cuisine essentially had Kesar as the flavouring ingredient. It has that exclusive aroma unmatched by artificial flavouring. The price of Kesar varies from Rs.150/- to Rs.450/- per gram as per demand and supply.

I am fond of Kesar and just about any sweet or dessert with added Kesar. So I stock Kesar in abundance which can be preserved for years in the fridge in sealed condition. Even here in Mangalore we get pure Kesar in Ayurvedic medical stores.

When we were young, our mother used to make an excellent sweet dish, a rice pudding named Keshar Bhaat. She used to cook Jeersaali or Gandhsaali rice with pure home made ghee, sugar, cardamom and raisins to make it tasty. Needless to mention that she was a perfectionist in her culinary skills. At weddings and functions, we rarely get to see Keshar Bhaat as dessert, since caterers find making its cousin Doodhpak or Rice Kheer easier and cost effective. However, Pineapple Pudding or Sheera is another sweet dish that is popular in Mangalore, mostly made for functions during Summer months when Pineapple harvest is in abundance. Now we get pineapple round the year and it is not a rare opportunity to taste Pineapple Pudding. Pineapple Pudding is also known as Pineapple Kesari Bhaat in old Mysore side and Pineapple Kesari in Tamilnadu. Yet, I haven't come across any recipe which mentions Pineapple Keshar Bhaat or Pineapple Rice Pudding. Please don't get confused with 'Kesari Bhaat' and 'Keshar Bhaat'. I deliberately call Rice Pudding as Keshar Bhaat with an added 'H'. That's how it is called among Mangalorean GSB households. Keshar Bhaat is called as 'Zarda' in North West Frontier of India and in Pakistan.

We had the lonely pineapple grown in our garden recently, perhaps the only one I have grown in my life so far! It was almost mature but was expected to grow further, when due to weather condition, 
it started tilting and we didn't have any other alternative but to harvest it and keep it for ripening. It took over a week to fully ripen and first thing that came to my mind was making Pineapple Pudding. So I cleaned and cut it, made slices and kept it inside the fridge. Then I started to think that nobody has ever tried making Pineapple Keshar Bhaat with rice. Why not give it a try and present this colourful sweet dish to our good readers for the Holi festival? Besides, pineapple adds more flavour and that sweet and tangy taste to rice.

Now, making Keshar Bhaat requires real skill and care but once you know the tips and tricks, it is almost child's play to make it perfectly. Here are a few useful tips that you need to carefully follow:

1. Choosing the rice: 
Choose a good aromatic rice with short grain such as Jeersaali, Gandhsali or Doodhmalai. Basmati can also be used, but long grain rice doesn't give the same texture and taste as short grain rice. 

The simple science behind making perfect Keshar Bhaat is that each grain of rice should be evenly coated with ghee and melting sugar while the grains should not get fluffy or too hard. They should also be succulent in taste, retaining moisture inside out while not being too sticky in texture! Short grain rice has all that quality which Basmati lacks.

2. Adding the right amount of ingredients: 
Right amount of water, ghee and sugar should be added to make the Keshar Bhaat delicious. Cooking rice to perfection is thus ensured. Spices like cardamom and cloves(I also add cloves because they have a unique flavour that blends with the rice well). 

3. Controlling the heat: 
This is important while cooking anything, but while cooking rice, we need to watch and monitor the heat properly, lest the carbs within rice tend to char and spoil the flavour. Also, covering the lid of the pan right on time ensures slow cooking essential to make perfect rice. If you cover the vessel earlier, the rice water tends to overflow and if you delay the timing, rice gets under-cooked! You can also use the perforated roti plate that's available in the market, underneath the rice pan for uniform slow heating.

4. Adding Sugar: 
Though some people add sugar along with rice while cooking, it is always better to add sugar after the rice has cooked to a certain point. Sugar has to just melt and coat the rice grains. If sugar syrup infiltrates the rice, taste and texture change, leaving the dish insipid!

So please follow these tips properly to achieve 100% success.

Presenting my own innovative sweet dish Pineapple Keshar Bhaat or Pineapple Rice Pudding, a fantastic tasty dessert that can even be eaten not only after lunch or dinner, but also for breakfast along with Rava Uppumaavu or Upma, completing a hearty meal with a unique 'Chowchow Bhaat' in old Mysorean language!
Make it, and you will see your family exclaim "Wah kyaa Bhaat hai!" and sing "Keshara Sera Sera....Bhaat ho toh aisa ho!"

"Have a Colourful and Sweet time with Pineapple Keshar Bhaat as you celebrate the Festival of Colours, Holi!"

Ingredients:
Jeera/Gandhsali/Basmati rice - 2 Cups
Water - 5 cups 
Pineapple - 1 Cup(2-3 slices) chopped into tiny bits
Sugar - 1 and 1/2 Cup
Ghee - 80 Ml 
Cloves - 8-10
Cardamom powder - 1/2 Tsp
Almonds - A handful(10-15), blanched and chopped
Raisins - A handful
Saffron - A generous pinch

Method:
Wash and soak the rice for about 10-15 minutes.
Drain and keep aside.
Soak saffron in little hot water
Keep water for boiling.
Heat half of the ghee, add cloves and Fry.
Add drained rice with pineapple chunks and lighly fry for 2-3 mins.
Add boiling water and bring to a boil.
Add saffron.
Cover and simmer for 10 mins, until the rice is 3/4 cooked.
Add rest of the ghee along with sugar and cardamom powder.
Keep on slow flame, mix lightly with a fiber/wooden spatula for 2-3 mins and allow the sugar to melt and get evenly mixed with the rice.
When ghee leaves the sides, switch off the flame and garnish with chopped almonds and raisins.
Keep for another 5-10 mins for the rice to swell up.
Mix and serve hot.

Note:
If you skip adding pineapple chunks, this will be the normal Keshar Bhaat.

Avalakki Dosa(Phova Dosa)

Dosa made with simple ingredients like Urad Daal and Rice is called Saada Dosa or Khaali Dosa. Saada dosa can be made in different ways, adding other ingredients like Phova(Avalakki/Beaten rice), Buttermilk, Cooked Rice, Charmuri(Puffed Rice) or even adding Popped Rice(Lhaayi/Aralu). Set dosa is also a form of saada dosa. Saada dosa is a healthy South Indian snack full of protein and carbs, easy on digestion and good to taste. Typical Mangaloreans like Khaali Dosa while Bangaloreans and Mysoreans love Saada Dosa or Set Dosa.

We GSBs make Mushti Dosa in which we add phova or charmuri as one of the agents to make the dosas fluffy. In restaurants they make fluffy crispy dosas without adding much urad daal because urad daal is expensive these days. Some people also can't withstand more of it due to protien intolerance. One can try various methods by which restaurants make these saada dosas.

While discussing about various dosas with a friend, Meena got a fantastic recipe which her friend named 'Avalakki Dosa'. This is not exactly mushti dosa as I mentioned above, but is more crispy and firm. Mushti dosa is spongy and soft. This recipe is very simple and making dosas is child's play. Yet the result is too good and these crisp and fluffy dosas can be relished with any chutney or curry. One can go on eating them without feeling heavy! From scratch to finished product, method is almost the same as any other saada dosa. Be ready with loads of chutney or curry, for you may need to soak these in generous quantity of them!

Ingredients:
Dosa Rice - 2 and 1/2 Cups
Urad daal - 1/2 Cup
Avalakki/Phova/Beaten Rice - 1 Cup
Fenugreek Seeds - 1 Tsp
Salt - To taste
Oil or ghee for roasting dosas.

Method:
Wash and soak rice and urad daal with methi seeds and washed squeezed phova for 2-3 hours.
Grind to a smooth batter like you do for regular dosas.
Cover and keep overnight or for 10-12 hours for fermentation.
Heat dosa tawa and make thick or thin dosas with oil or ghee drizzled as per requirement.
Roast well on both the sides.
If you are making thin dosas, add little more water to the batter and make it thinner.
Serve with choice of chutney, potato bhaaji, sambar, saagu or curry.

Thick Dosa with Chutney

Thin Dosa with Chutney and Potato Bhaaji

Angoori Chutney(Spicy Grape Chutney)

I bought seedless purple grapes recently and they were very sour. So, I asked opinions from a few online foodie friends about what we can prepare with that. Some suggested jam, juice and some others suggested grape chutney. The idea of grape chutney appealed to me. One friend even gave her recipe but I could not prepare the chutney immediately owing to my other commitments.

Days rolled by, the grapes were resting in the fridge for over 3 weeks, they got dehydrated and lost almost 80% of the moisture. Yet, they remained clean and unspoilt. So, I tried making grape chutney, invariably lost the recipe given by my online friend and googled for a good recipe. I found one which looked palatable and I used that recipe of course with my own changes. This recipe will be definitely liked by our followers. You can preserve this in a fridge for many days. Make it today, keep at room temperature for 24-48 hours and then shift to a fridge.

The original recipe adapted from Food52.com has 3 different variety of grapes with many more added ingredients including sugar, but I added jaggery, at the same time avoided some ingredients and added more chillies. Since grapes blend well with ginger, I didn't try to add asafotoeda that I originally had in mind. Besides, fennel seeds have a different aroma that goes well with ginger and other spices listed below.

Angoori Chutney can be eaten as a pickle or it can be served with baked chicken and pan roast fish fillet. You can also have it as a stuffing in sandwiches. I can find many uses for it, as I am a lover of spicy chutneys and pickles. Amaze your guests with this chutney when you throw a party!

Ingredients:
Seedless Purple Grapes - 500 Gms
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Black Peppercorns - 1 Tsp
Fennel Seeds - 2 Tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 Tsp
Byadgi or Kashmiri Red Chillies - 10
Turmeric Powder -1/4 Tsp
Ginger - 2" piece sliced
Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste
Powdered Jaggery - 1/2 Cup
Oil - 4 Tsp

Method:
Wash the grapes thoroughly, drain and chop into small bits.
You should be able to collect 2 cups of the chopped grapes.
Heat 1/2 Tsp oil in a thick bottomed pan, add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.
Add cumin, fennel and fenugreek seeds and roast for a few seconds.
Add broken red chillies and turmeric powder and roast for 30 secs.
Add sliced ginger and fry till the pieces get dehyrdrated.
Remove the masala spices from the pan and allow them to cool down.
Powder the roasted ingredients in a mill coarsely.
Heat remaining oil in the pan and add the chopped grapes, salt and powdered jaggery.
Saute for 1-2 minute and allow the grapes to become mushy.
Add the masala powder and mix well.
Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Don't allow the mass to get charred. Keep sprinkling little water if you find the mass too dry.
When the masala blends well with the grapes, switch off the flame and allow the chutney to cool down to room temperature.
Store in air tight jar and keep at room temperature for another 24-48 hours.
Transfer to a fridge and use as and when required.

Khichdi Pulao

'Khichdi' - The name sounds funny because often we get to hear the word in Hindi films when someone goofs up things! In India, Khichdi or hotchpotch is a delicious meal consisting of Moong Daal and Rice cooked with spices. This is famous staple of North Indians, especially Maharastrians and Gujaratis. Khichdi is a bland dish that can be savoured even by people recovering from illness, for it provides nutrition and energy, at the same time is easily digestible.

Meena was slightly under the weather, was recovering since 2 days and I was wondering what to prepare for lunch for her. I suddenly remembered the life saver meal khichdi that she often used to make for me when I was down with some illness. Yet, I wanted her to get better nutrition and vitamin supplements. I also kept in mind how she drooled over the take away mutton biryani from Danish Food Court that I gobbled up two consecutive days when she was confined to gruel and simple vegetable fry! So I decided to make something in lines of the Royal Khichdi that we made a few years ago, but adding vegetables this time. I had very little time on my hands, as it was almost past 1:30pm as I started to prepare the veggies for the Khichdi. 

So, I skipped searching for the the authentic Royal Khichdi and went by my own formula to make this wonderful delicious non spicy tasty wholesome Khichdi Pulao. This fusion of two most popular North Indian rice dishes, has no whole spices to annoy you while enjoying the meal and kids will simply love this. 

One word about the rice you use. Better choose short grain rice, as it absorbs the masalas better and also blends well with the added Moong Daal. So, I chose Jeerak Samba rice and avoided using Basmati. If inevitable, go for Basmati. As regards adding butter, I always felt some kind of lightness in rice dishes if we add butter instead of ghee. Roasting Moong daal with oil and then adding butter retains moisture in the rice and doesn't char the other ingredients. You may just think in terms of butter fried boiled vegetables that we often try in good restaurants as a starter.

You may add extra ginger-garlic paste, pepper and garam masala if you want to make this more spicy. Also add couple of slit green chillies and a bay leaf for altogether different feel. Please follow the instructions about maintaining the right heat during various frying processes, as the fine dining depends on fine cooking.It is not my prerogative to pat my own back. Try and make this yourself to find out if this is good enough for your and your family's tastes! I guarantee you, you won't be disappointed with my formula. Please leave a feedback/suggestion about the dish, as I would love to improve on my own recipes anytime. Our followers are out guides.

Ingredients:
Jeerak Samba Rice - 1 cup
Moong Daal - 1/2 cup
Water - 3 and 1/4 cups
Salt - 1 Tsp
Chopped vegetables(French Beans, carrots, cauliflower) - 1 cup
Shelled fresh or frozen peas - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1 medium chopped
Chopped Coriander leaves - A handful
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 Tsp
Crushed Black Pepper - 2 Tsp
Cumin powder - 1 Tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 Tsp
Refined vegetable oil - 1 Tsp
Butter - 50 Gms

Method:
Wash and soak rice in water at room temperature for 15 mins.
Drain and keep aside.
Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan.
Fry moong daal till a nice aroma emanates and daal turns golden brown.
Simmer the flame, collect the fried daal at the periphery of the pan, make a crater in the center and drop the butter in the crater.
As butter melts, add ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 min on medium flame.
Raise the flame to high, add the chopped veggies except peas, tomatoes and coriander leaves.
Fry for another 2 mins.
Now add the chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric and garam masala powder.
Mix gently for 1 min.
Add the peas and chopped coriander leaves, 3 and 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
Check for salt and add little more pepper if you want.
Add the soaked drained rice.
As the water starts to boil again, simmer and cover the pan.
Keep on low flame for 15-20 mins.
Switch off the flame, garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 

Note:
If you skip adding rice and follow the method till adding peas and chopped coriander leaves, you can make an excellent vegetable-lentil shorba or soup!