Lemon Rice - ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ

Lemon Rice/Yellow rice/Chitranna is a simple, flavorful, colorful and famous South Indian, Karnataka rice dish. This is one of the items that can be prepared in less than 30 mins.  There are many varieties of "Chitranna",  I am publishing one of the methods for preparing "Chitranna". 

Ingredients:

11/2 cup rice (uncooked rice)

1 large onion- chopped finely
1/2 of large tomato - chopped finely
5 - 6 slit green chillies
5 -6 curry leaves - chopped
2 tbsp cilantro - chopped
3-5 tbsp Lemon juice
Salt
For seasoning/oggarane/tadka
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tbsp Channa dal (Bengal gram)
1 tbsp urad dal (black gram)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
5-6 tbsp oil
 

• Cook the rice with enough water (each grain should be separate and not sticky). Drain and spread out on a wide vessel.
• Heat oil in a pan, add ½ tsp of mustard and let them splutter. Add 1 tbsp black gram. 1 tbsp of Bengal gram.
• Add slit green chillies and fry till the dals turn red (approx 2 mts) on medium heat. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric.
• Add curry leaves and onion and fry till onion turn light brown color, then add chopped tomato and fry till soft. Turn off heat.
• Add this to the rice with  lemon juice and salt. Combine well. Adjust salt and lemon juice.
• Serve with Coriander chutney or Mint chutney
  

Vegetable Rava Uppittu/Upma- ತರಕಾರಿ ರವೆ ಉಪ್ಪಿಟ್ಟು 

Rava Uppittu is a simple and easy to make popular South Indian breakfast .  Rava Uppittu is also popular as 'Suji Upma' and "Rava Upma" in other part of India. Onion Uppittu and Tomato uppittu  are popular, however I prefer Vegetable Uppittu.


Rava - Cream of wheat. 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups wheat rava
1 finely sliced large onion
1 large tomato, finely chopped
8-10 beans, finely chopped
1 small Potato, peeled and finely chopped
1 small Carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup soaked green peas or tender green peas
3-4 slit green chillis
1″ ginger finely chopped
1 tbsp ghee or oil
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Grated coconut 4 to 5 tbsp
2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
3 3/4 to 4 cups water
salt to taste

For seasoning:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp bengal gram
1 tbsp black gram dal
12-15 curry leaves

• Fry wheat rava slowly  over low flame  till it turns light brown.
• Heat oil or ghee in a pan, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add bengal gram, black gram, curry leaves and saute them till the dals turn red.
• Add the sliced onions, green chillies and ginger  and saute for 2 mts. 
• Add the chopped vegetables, green peas and saute on medium heat for 4 mts. Add water, salt, lemon juice, grated coconut, chopped coriander and bring to a boil before adding the wheat rava.
• Now, reduce heat and slowly add the wheat rava to the water and mix it continuously so that lumps don’t form.
  
• Cover with lid and let it simmer for 12 mts. Turn off heat when there is no water left and the rava is completely cooked.
• Serve this hot with ghee.
  

Maddur Vada (ಮದ್ದೂರು ವಡೆ )

MaddurVada is one of the delicious and popular snacks from Karnataka, South India.  Madduru is a taluk situated in Mandya District.  This place is famous for this delicious snack Maddur Vada.  If you have traveled by train from Bangalore to Mysore you will find this Snack being sold at  the Railway Station. 

Maddur Vada is a deep fried crispy snack prepared with the mixture of Rice Flour,Rava (Peni Rava), All Purpose Flour ,onions and Indian spices.The outer crust is crisp,tastes great and is generally eaten as a snack.It can be eaten as it is or served with  coriander chutney  It goes well with masala chai or Coffee. 

Ingredients:

1 Cup Rice Flour

1 Cup Rava (Peni Rave)

1 Cup All Purpose Flour ( Maida )

3 medium sized onions

4 to 5 green Chillies

7 to 8 Curry leaves

Salt to taste

3 tbsp of Butter

oil to fry

1. Take 3 tbsp of butter and a pinch of salt, mix thoroughly till the butter dissolves. 

2. Add all the flours,  finely chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves and salt . Add water as you mix and make a dough.

3.  Make small lemon-sized balls and pat it and flatten it on oil paper and deep fry until golden brown.

Lemon Soup/Lemon -Lentil Rasam/Nimbe Saaru (ನಿಂಬೆ ಸಾರು)

Lemon Soup is a beautiful pale yellow colored lemony flavored thin soup.  It is a tasty, light and flavorful with an aroma of fresh lemon juice and asafoetida.  It is ideal to have as a soup with papad or over white rice.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Toor dal

Freshly squeezed lemon juice - 4tbsp

1/2 tbsp oil

4 cups water

1 cup of fresh coconut milk

1 small tomato, finely chopped (optional)

4-5 green chillis slit

large pinch turmeric pwd

salt to taste

For seasoning/oggarane/tadka:

1/2 tbsp ghee/oil

pinch of mustard seeds

pinch of cumin seeds

large pinch hing/asafoetida/ingu

1 dry red chilli, tear and de-seed

10-12 curry leaves

• Pressure cook toor dal with green chillies, turmeric, 1/2 tbsp of oil all of them together in a vessel.
• Mash the cooked dal.
• Combine mashed dal with water, add salt, coconut milk, and few curry leaves. Bring to a boil.
• While the dal water is boiling, heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and as they splutter, add the cumin seeds and once the cumin crackles, add curry leaves and red chilli. Finally add asafoetida.
• Turn off heat. Let it cool down a bit.
• Add the lemon juice and combine. Adjust salt. Add seasoning, garnish with coriander leaves and serve warm.

Lemon Soup rice with stir fried Broccoli

Masala And Plain Vadas- Ambode (ಆಂಬೋಡೆ)

Masala vadas are popular South Indian snack, prepared with Bengal gram lentil (Channa dal). The outer layer is crisp and tastes great, This can be eaten with Coriander chutney.

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow gram (chana) dal
1/2 cup onion finely chopped
3-4 green chillies finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves
2 tsp of finely cut fresh coconut pieces
1/2 cup mint leaves finely chopped
5-6 curry leaves
1" Ginger, cut into small pieces
pinch of asafoetida
Salt
Oil for frying

• Wash and soak dal for 3-4 hours. Drain.
• Keep 2 tbsp of dal aside, grind the rest coarsely.
• Mix all other ingredients, including whole dal.
• Heat oil, make pattie shaped rounds with moist palm.
• Fry first one side then the other till golden brown.
• Serve hot with Coriander Chutney

Plain Vadas are simpler version of Masala vada. When you are lazy to cut vegetables or you don't have the necessary ingredients, no need to get disappointed , you can still make tasty vadas, find the recipe below

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow gram (chana) dal
3-4 green chillies finely chopped
5-6 curry leaves
pinch of asafoetida
Salt
Oil for frying

• Follow the same preperation steps as Masala Vada and serve hot with Coriander Chutney

Both Masala and Plain vadas goes well with Masala Chai and also it is good to eat with Sambar rice and rasam rice.