Ingredients

Rice flour – 1 cup (see note 1)

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Coconut oil – 2 + 1/2 tbsp (see note 2 for alternative)

Water – 2 to 2 1/2 cups (approximately)

Ghee or sesame oil – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Fresh curry leaves finely chopped – 2 tbsp

 Dosai/Idli Milagaai Podi – 2 tbsp (see note 3 for alternative)

Fresh grated coconut – 3 tbsp (optional)

Method

1)   In a wide bowl take rice flour, salt and ghee/sesame oil. Mix thoroughly by hand so the salt and fat spreads evenly. Set aside.

2)   Heat the water and once it starts boiling add this hot water little by little to the rice flour mixture and roughly mix with a spatula. Add enough water to bring the rice flour together roughly. Add 1/2 tbsp coconut oil on top of this hot rice flour mixture, cover the bowl fully and allow it to rest for 10 mins. Cover and save rest of the hot water for kneading the dough later.

3)   After 10 mins, when the rice mixture is warm and you are able to handle it with your hands, apply some coconut oil in your palm and start kneading the dough. If the mixture is too dry and doesn’t come together, then sprinkle some hot water we’ve saved and knead well until all the flour comes together and forms one smooth crack free dough. Cover this dough and let it rest for a further 5 mins.

4)   Now grease your palms with coconut oil and divide the dough into 3 or 4 portions. Take one portion out and make small balls, the size of a marble. Keep the rest of the dough portions covered with a damp kitchen towel until you shape them into small balls. Keeping the dough covered with a damp cloth helps keep the dough moist.

5)   Continue to shape the entire dough into small balls, cover and set aside. Now steam the prepared dough balls in a steamer or a pressure cooker for 6 to 7 mins. After 6 to 7 mins remove the steamed kozhakattai from the steamer and let it cool completely.

6)   Now in a wide pan or kadai take 2 tbsp coconut oil and heat it. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Immediately add the fresh curry leaves and mix once. Simmer the heat and add the steamed kozhakattais. Gently mix once so the oil coats evenly on them.

7)   Add dosai/idli milagaai podi and fresh grated coconut to the kozhakattai and mix completely. Cover the pan for just 2 mins and your tasty ammini kozhakattai is ready to serve.

Notes

1. I’ve used normal store bought rice flour to make this dish. You can use the same or if you get processed rice flour like idiyappam flour or more specifically kozhakkattai flour then it’s even better. The process is the same whichever rice flour you use.
2. You can use sesame oil instead of coconut oil.
3. I’ve chosen to spice up my ammini kozhakkattais with dosai milagaai podi, which is my favourite. You can feel free to try any other readymade spice powder like Kollu Karuveppilai Podi, Rasam powder etc according to your taste.

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Recently, for the first time I tried to add coconut milk (for a tinge of sweetness) and kidney beans (for protein value) to the basic version of tomato rice. It just turned out to be a  bit of sweet, tangy, spicy, salty and flavourful rice enriched with the goodness of kidney beans. It was awesomely tasty and has become my favourite lunch box option and a party dish too in my house!

Here’s the recipe for my (new) favourite Tomato Rice.

Ingredients

Cooked kidney beans – 1 cup

Basmati rice – 1 cup

Water – 1 cup

Thick coconut milk – 1 cup

Cooking oil – 3 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Cardamom – 3

Cloves – 3

Cinnamon stick – 2 inch piece

Bay leaf – 1

Star anise – 1

Green chillies (slit) – 3 (to taste)

Ginger (finely chopped) – 1 tbsp heaped

Garlic (finely chopped) – 1 tbsp

Onion (thinly sliced) – 2 medium sized

Salt – 1 tsp (to taste)

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder – 1 tsp

Ripe tomatoes (thinly sliced) – 2 large

Green capsicum (cut into small cubes) – 1/2 medium sized (totally optional)

Fresh coriander leaves (finely chopped) – handful

Yield
Serves 3 – 4

Prep time
8 to 10 hrs for soaking kidney beans
30 mins on the day

Cook time
30 mins

Method

1)   Wash and soak kidney beans for 8 to 10 hrs. After soaking drain the beans completely and add 1/4 tsp salt and fresh water, boil until the beans cook well. Once the beans are cooked well drain them and set aside. If you are using store bought canned beans, skip this cooking process. Just drain the beans in the can and use straightaway.

2)   While the beans are cooking, wash the basmati rice and then soak in water and coconut milk for 20 mins.

3)   Heat a thick bottomed kadai  or cooking pan, add oil. When it is hot enough add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Then add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and star anise. Saute for 30 s.

4)   Now reduce the heat to a minimum and add green chillies, ginger and garlic. Fry for 1 min or until garlic turns golden. Then add onions and 1/4 tsp salt and fry on medium heat until onion becomes translucent.

5)   Now add turmeric powder and red chilly powder. Saute for 30 to 40 s and add the tomatoes. Mix, cover and cook until the tomatoes are cooked and mushy.

6)   Then add the rice with the water and coconut milk mixture. Mix gently, add the remaining salt and cover the pan. Cook on high heat for the first 6 to 7 mins. Then simmer the heat completely, open the pan and add the cooked kidney beans. Mix everything very gently, cover the pan again and cook the rice for a further 7 to 8 mins or until the rice is cooked.

7)   Now add coriander leaves and capsicum and your tasty tomato rice is ready to serve. Pair it with some vegetable raitha to make it a complete meal.

Notes

1. If you are not vegan, go ahead and add a tbsp of ghee just before adding coriander leaves. This adds an extra aroma to tomato rice and also keeps the rice fluffy and not stick together. 
2. I generally don’t add mint in tomato rice, but if you are a big fan of mint, you can add a handful of fresh mint leaves along with the onions.
3. If you want to use store bought ginger garlic paste instead of fresh ginger and garlic use 1 tbsp for this recipe.
4. Be gentle when mixing basmati rice. It will break easily!
5. Check out my other interesting rice dishes like Tawa Pulao, Moringa Pulao and Chickpea Pulao.

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Ingredients

Cooking sesame oil – 1 1/2 tbsp

Ridge gourd (cut into cubes) – 3 cups (beginners, check notes to learn how to prep ridge gourd!)

Salt – 1/2 tsp (or to taste)

Fresh curry leaves – a handful

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Moong dhal – 1 tsp

Fresh coriander leaves – a handful

Thick tamarind extract – 1 1/2 tbsp

Green chillies – 4 (or to taste)

Walnuts – handful

Yield
2 cups

Prep time
15 mins

Cook time
15 mins

Method

1)   Heat a shallow frying pan and add 1 tbsp oil. When it is warm add cubed ridge gourd, salt and jaggery. Mix once, cover and cook for nearly 10 mins on medium heat. Open the lid and mix intermittently to avoid charring. Once the ridge gourd cooks and shrinks to almost 1/3 of its original quantity add curry leaves (reserve few for tempering) and saute for a further 2 mins. Set this aside to cool completely.

2)   In a tempering pan heat 1/2 tbsp oil, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Now add moong dhal and fry until golden. Add the reserved curry leaves and saute for a few secs. Transfer this to a serving dish.

3)   In a mixer jar add the cooked ridge gourd, coriander leaves, tamarind extract, green chillies and walnuts. Pulse a few times. Now add 2 to 3 tbsps water and grind to a chutney consistency. Transfer this spicy ridge gourd chutney to the serving dish. Mix the tempering into the chutney.

4)   Serve this healthy chutney with any Indian savoury tiffin and enjoy. Stays fresh for 2 days when refrigerated.   

Notes

1. Take your time to cook the ridge gourd and make sure it cooks well, shrinks and most of the moisture evaporates before grinding. Otherwise your chutney will have an uncooked raw flavour which is not good.
2. The spice level in this chutney is according to my taste preference. I like my chutneys hot and spicy. If it is too spicy for your taste then reduce the number of chillies.
3. You can add some chopped onions or grated carrots to the chutney after adding the tempering. This will enhance the taste and give a bit of crunch/texture to the ridge gourd chutney.
4. Try this yummy chutney with Yam Paratha. One of my favourite lunch box options!

Beginners tips

1. Make sure to buy ridge gourd that is tender to touch and not hard. Take the gourd in your hand and try twisting it a bit. You should be able to twist it slightly with ease. This means it is fresh and tender.
2. Wash the ridge gourd properly, and cut it into big pieces. Hold the piece vertically and slice off the ridges/rough edges with a knife. Now gently scrape the leftover skin of the gourd and wash the pieces once more.
3. When your ridge gourd is tender you can use the entire pulp after getting rid of the ridges fully and scraping the skin roughly. You don’t have to discard the outer skin completely or the seeds inside. If your gourd is old then it becomes very fibrous and the seeds become hard, the outer skin is difficult to cook and difficult to digest too. You may have to discard if it becomes old.

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The recipe is quick and easy, especially if you have some leftover rice. If you plan to take this for your lunch box, cook rice the night before and refrigerate to save more time. I’ve added peanuts for crunchy texture but feel free to experiment with any other nut variety!

Ingredients

Rice (any) – 1 cup

Water – as needed to cook the rice

Salt – 1 1/4 tsp (or to taste)

Cooking Sesame Oil – 3 1/2 tbsp

Curry leaves – a few leaves

Flavour enhancer powder – 1/2 tsp (optional) (refer Puliyodharai recipe to make this)

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Chana dhal – 1 tbsp

Urad dhal – 1 tbsp

Peanuts – 1/2 cup

Green chillies (finely chopped) – 2 tbsp

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Lime/lemon zest – 1 tbsp

Lime/lemon juice – 3 to 4 tbsp

Jaggery powder/brown sugar – 1 tsp

Yield
Serves 3 – 4

Prep time
15 mins

Cook time
30 mins

Method

1)   Wash and soak rice for 15 mins. Then cook the rice until soft and fluffy, but not mushy. Transfer the cooked rice to a wide bowl or a plate to cool down a bit. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt, a few curry leaves (hand torn), flavour enhancer powder and 1 tbsp sesame oil on the rice and set aside.

2)   While the rice is cooking, heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a wide pan and roast the peanuts on low flame until crunchy and set aside.

3)   In a bowl take 3/4 tsp salt, jaggery powder/brown sugar, lime/lemon zest and lime/lemon juice. Mix well and set aside.

4)   Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Simmer completely and add chana dhal and urad dhal. Roast until golden. Add asafoetida and turmeric powder to the roasted dhals and mix once.

4)   Immediately add green chillies and few curry leaves. Fry for 30 seconds. Transfer this tempering to the lime juice mixture. Allow it to sit for about 5 mins.

5)   After 5 mins transfer the tempering and lime juice mixture to the cooked rice and add the fried peanuts. Add some curry leaves and gently mix (without breaking the rice) once. Gently press down the rice and cover the pan. Let it sit for 10 mins at least.The rice will absorb all the seasoning and the flavours during this time. 

6)   6)   Serve lime rice with a vegetable koottu (check out my green papaya koottu and watermelon rind koottu) or any dry vegetable spicy curry. Simple Indian papad and fryums are also great accompaniments. My all time favourite with lime rice is crunchy potato chips or spicy potato dry curry.

Notes

1. Make sure to cook your rice just enough, because Lime Rice will not taste good if the rice is mushy. Adding a small amount of oil on top of the cooked rice, while it is cooling helps to keep the grains separate.
2. You can use cashews or walnuts, instead of peanuts, if you prefer. Adding any one of these nuts gives a nice crunch to the rice and also adds protein value to your meal.
3. Adding zest increases the nutritive value and enhances the intense lime flavour.
4. Lemon/lime juice and zest left on its own (without adding sugar or salt) might become bitter after few mins. So whenever you squeeze citrus fruits for your food, squeeze directly on top of your food which is already seasoned.
5. Like Puliyodharai, this rice also is a great option for short travels, picnic or lunch box. The natural acidity from lemons, sesame oil and the flavour enhancer acts as a preservative and increase the shelf life even without refrigeration. Stays good for nearly 2 days at room temperature.

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These delicious laddus are a great option to gift when you visit friends and family. It is also ideal for growing kids as a snack in their lunch box or as an after school snack because it is packed with protein and tastes awesome. This recipe is quite versatile and you can play around with the ingredients according to your choice or availability. Stays fresh for 10 to 15 days at room temperature and for a month when refrigerated.

With minimal cooking involved this Protein Laddu will be a great addition to your quick fix snack list!

Ingredients

Roasted bengal gram – 1 1/2 cups

Flax seeds – 1/4 cup

Walnuts – 1/2 cup

Almonds – 1/2 cup

Pistachio – 1/2 cup

Jaggery (powdered) – 1 1/2 cups

Salt – a pinch

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Saffron – 1/4 tsp

Ghee – 1/2 cup (Use plant based oil/butter for vegan option)

Yield
25 lime sized laddus

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
15 mins

Method

1)   On minimum heat, dry roast the flax seeds and the roasted bengal gram until aromatic (approximately 3 to 4 mins). Set aside in a bowl. Let cool.

2)   In the same pan, dry roast walnuts, almonds and pistachios until warm to touch. Transfer this to a plate and let it cool down.

3)   In a mixer grinder grind the flax seeds and the roasted bengal gram until powdered. Then add walnuts, almonds and pistachios and pulse a few times. Transfer this mixture to a wide bowl. Now take the jaggery and pulse this also few times to break any lumps. Transfer this jaggery to the ground mixture.

4)   Add salt, cardamom powder and saffron to the nuts-jaggery mixture. Mix well. Heat ghee in a small tempering pan until just warm and add it to the mixture. Mix roughly with a spoon and pack the mixture tightly in the bowl like how you would do for cheese cake biscuit base. Set aside for 5 mins.

5)   After 5 mins mix everything with greased hand until incorporated well. Take a handful of laddu mixture and press firmly in your palm to make small round balls/laddus. Place it on a plate until the protein laddus cool down completely. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

1. I’ve used good quality jaggery powder in this recipe. You can replace jaggery with brown sugar or country sugar.
2. Pulse the mixer when processing the nuts. Running the mixer continuously will release the natural oil in it. So instead of a nice sandy texture you will end up with a lump that will stick to the sides of the mixer jar.
3. I’ve used cardamom powder and saffron to add a nice flavour to this dish. You can use nutmeg powder in this protein laddu too, as an alternative. 
4. I’ve used walnuts, almonds and pistachios, but you can use any dry nuts. Adding roasted peanuts instead of pistachios is also a great option.
5. To give a totally different flavour to this protein laddu you can add 2 tbsp of unsweetened peanut butter and vanilla essence. This way you can reduce the amount to ghee/oil and avoid cardamom powder totally.
6. Make sure the laddus are at room temperature before storing it in a clean container.
7. For some similar quick bite recipes check out my No Bake Chocolate Biscuit Bars and Walnut Cashew Chikki recipes.

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Puttu is a traditional South Indian dish. It is made both in sweet and  savoury varieties. This recipe is for a sweet puttu variety made with yellow lentils (split and skinned green gram), jaggery and coconut, and flavoured with exotic cardamom.

When I was young my grandmother made dishes like puttu, poLi, fire roasted sweet potato, boiled sweet potato with jaggery syrup, sundal and many more simple yet healthy snacks. These kind of dishes are definitely nutritious and can be a great option for after school/work snack.

Go ahead and make this protein rich Moong Dal Puttu and satisfy your sweet tooth craving anytime of the day.

Ingredients

Yellow moong dal – 1 cup

Ghee (Neutral oil or vegan butter for a vegan version) – 2 tbsp

Cashew nuts – 20

Raisins – 2 tbsp

Fresh grated coconut – 1 cup

Jaggery (powdered) – 1 1/2 cups

Salt – a pinch

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Yield
Serves 4

Prep time
2 hrs to soak moong dal

Cook time
45 mins

Method

1)   On low heat dry roast moong dal for 5 to 7 mins until fragrant. (Make sure the colour of moong dal doesn’t change). Transfer to a bowl and let it cool down a bit. Then wash twice and soak in water for 2 hours.

2)   After 2 hours drain the water completely and grind the soaked moong dal in a mixer. Add just enough water to run the mixer. The consistency of the moong dal batter should be thick and grainy.

3)   Now grease a shallow pan with a few drops of ghee/butter and transfer the moong dal batter into this. Place this batter in a steamer and steam until an inserted knife comes out clean. Remove from heat and let it come to room temperature.

4)   Now make rough chunks of the steamed moong dal using a knife and carefully pulse the chunks in a mixer. Don’t run the mixer continuously. Pulse until you get a breadcrumb texture. Set aside.

5)   Heat a pan and add the jaggery powder in it. Add enough water to cover the jaggery and stir continuously. Add salt and keep stirring until the jaggery dissolves fully. Now strain the jaggery water through a fine strainer to remove any impurities.

6)   In a wide, thick bottomed pan heat 1 tbsp ghee. Add cashew nuts and fry until golden. Then add raisins and fry until they swell. Add grated coconut and fry all together for 2 to 3 mins. Remove the nuts, raisins and coconut in a plate and set aside.

7)   In the same pan take the jaggery water. Boil jaggery water on medium heat until syrup comes to soft ball consistency (refer video). When syrup reaches soft ball consistency, simmer and add the crumbled moong dal, fried nuts, raisins and coconut mixture to the syrup and mix fully.

https://www.thepearpapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/WhatsApp-Video-2021-09-05-at-08.34.15.mp4

8)   The puttu will resemble wet sand texture now. To this add a tbsp of ghee and cardamom powder. Mix well. Simmer for 2 to 3 mins, then remove from heat and set aside. Your tasty Moong Dal Puttu is ready. Wait until it comes to room temperature to store in an airtight container.

9)   Refrigerate leftover puttu and use up to 3 to 4 days. Heat it up a bit before serving.

Notes

1. I’ve used good quality jaggery powder for this recipe. You can replace jaggery with brown sugar or country sugar.
2. Pulse the mixer when processing the steamed moong dal. Running the mixer continuously will make moong dal stick to the sides of the mixer and you will end up with big lumps of steamed dal.
3. I’ve used cardamom powder to add a nice flavour to this dish. You can use nutmeg powder too, as an alternative. If you are familiar with edible camphor, then add a pinch of edible camphor along with cardamom powder to enhance the flavour of this puttu. 
4. I’ve used only cashew nuts and raisins, but you can use any variety of nuts to add crunch to Moong Dal Puttu.

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This is my recipe for an extremely flavourful spice mix powder, made in less than 20 mins, from my kitchen to yours! I’ve added a quick gorgeous brinjal dry curry recipe also in this post so you can see how it is used.

Ingredients

Coriander seeds – 2 cups

Split chana dhal – 1 1/4cups

Whole Urad dhal – 1/4 cup

Asafoetida – 1 tsp

Dry red chillies – 10 (or to taste)

Kashmiri dry red chillies – 6 (or to taste)

Uncooked rice – 2 tsp

Peanut oil – 1 tsp

For the dry curry:

Cooking oil – 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Brinjal – 1/2 kg

Salt – to taste

Dry mango powder – 1/2 tsp

Jaggery/sugar – 1/2 tsp

Brinjal podi – 4 tbsp

For the Podi:

Yield
3 1/2 cups

Prep time
5 mins

Cook time
15 mins

For the Dry Curry:

Yield
Serves 3

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
15 mins

Method

1)   Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add oil. Reduce the heat to minimum and add all the ingredients except asafoetida. Roast on low heat until the dhals turn golden.

2)   Transfer all the roasted ingredients to a flat plate, add asafoetida and mix once. Let it cool completely.

3)   Grind everything coarsely in a mixer/grinder. Your flavourful brinjal podi is ready. Store this in an airtight container and refrigerate. So easy!

To make brinjal dry curry using brinjal podi:

1)   Wash and cut baby brinjal lengthwise and put the pieces in a bowl of water as you’re cutting them. Squeeze some lime/lemon in there to add acidity and let it soak in that water for 5 mins. Then drain the brinjal pieces in a colander. This process of soaking will stop oxidation and prevent browning of the pieces.

2)   Heat a kadai and add some oil (as you would for stir frying). Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Then add turmeric powder. Immediately add brinjal and enough salt for the curry. Mix once, cover and cook on medium heat until brinjal is almost done. This should take around 5 to 7 mins.

3)   Now open the lid and add the dry mango powder and jaggery/sugar. Mix once. Cook the brinjal for a further 2 mins. Finally add the brinjal podi to the curry, mix gently and simmer the heat completely and cook for 1 more min. Switch off the heat and serve this tasty curry with any south Indian rice variety.  

Notes

1. The quantity of dry red chillies (both varieties) can be adjusted according to your preference. Just note, dry red chillies is more spicy and less colourful and kashmiri red chillies are more colourful and less spicy. A combination of both gives the right amount of heat and colour.
2. This spice mix adds great flavour to many dry curries and can be used to make some mixed rice too. Just do some basic tempering, toss finely chopped onion and add plain cooked rice and salt. Add this brinjal podi to the rice and toss gently. Sprinkle some coriander leaves and serve. A quick, tasty dish when you return late from work or as a last minute lunch box dish (if you have some leftover cooked rice).
3. If you are using asafoetida in crystal or lump forms instead of powder, then take a tsp of crystals or 1 inch piece of lump and fry it in the oil before frying the other ingredients. Wait until it puffs/swells up and doubles in size. Then add all the other ingredients and continue the process. Crystal or lump form of asafoetida gives more flavour and aroma to brinjal podi.
4. When refrigerated in an airtight container, this spice mix stays fresh for at least 6 months.
5. Check out similar spice mix recipes like Rasam Powder, Dosai/Idli Milagaai Podi, Kollu Karuveppilai Podi and Sambar Powder for simple and tasty south Indian cooking.

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Traditional peanut chutney has peanuts and coconut, but adding carrot to it gives it a bit more depth of flavour by introducing some sweetness. This spicy Carrot Peanut Chutney is a great side dish for idli, dosa and any kind of indian bread. This chutney can also be used as a spread in your sandwich or as an accompaniment for plain steamed rice.

Ingredients

Peanuts – 3/4 cup

Dry red chillies – 6 (or to taste)

Carrot (grated) – 1 1/2 cups

Onion – 1 medium sized

Tomato – 2 medium sized

Salt – 1 tsp (or to taste)

Peanut oil – 3 tbsp

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Moong dhal – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – a few

Sambar powder – 1 tsp

Grated coconut – 2 tbsp (optional)

Powdered jaggery or brown sugar – 1 tsp

Yield
3 cups

Prep time
15 mins

Cook time
30 mins

Method

1)   Heat a shallow frying pan and add 1 tbsp oil. Add peanuts and dry red chillies to this oil. On low heat fry these until crisp and remove the peanuts and chillies from the oil, transfer to a plate and let it cool.

2)   For tempering, heat the same pan, add 1/2 tbsp more oil and add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. When the mustard seeds splutter add moong dhal and fry until golden. Now add curry leaves and mix once. Transfer this tempering to a plate and set aside.

3)   Chop onion and tomato roughly. Set aside.

4)   In the same frying pan take the remaining oil and heat it. Add chopped onion and fry until translucent. Now add grated carrot and chopped tomato. Add sambar powder, asafoetida and salt. Mix well, cover and cook until soft. Allow the cooked vegetables to come to room temperature.

5)   In a mixer jar add the peanuts and chillies. Grind coarsely. Now add the cooked vegetables, coconut and jaggery. Grind everything to a chutney consistency (add water as required to bring the chutney to a smooth cake batter consistency).

6)   Now transfer the carrot peanut chutney to a serving bowl and add the tempering. Mix well and serve with idli, dosai, upma, pongal (all Indian tiffin varieties), any Indian bread or plain steamed rice. This chutney is a great combination for Pidi Kozhukkattai too.

7)   When refrigerated, carrot peanut chutney stays good for 2 days.

Notes

1. To enhance the flavour and taste of peanuts I’ve used peanut oil for this recipe. As an alternative you can use sesame oil or any neutral oil.
2. Take your time to roast the peanuts and chillies on low flame. When roasted on low heat the peanut gets roasted inside out completely and adds an intense peanut flavour to the carrot peanut chutney. And the chillies have to fry and become crisp without changing colour as much as possible.
   If you don’t have dry red chillies, you can use chilli flakes instead. If you use chilli flakes, don’t fry it with the peanuts, just add it directly to the blender.
3. The spice level in this chutney is according to my taste preference. I like my chutneys hot and spicy. If it is too spicy for your taste then reduce the number of chillies.
4. You can add some chopped coriander leaves to the chutney after adding the tempering. This will enhance the appearance and nutritional value of the chutney.
5. If you make the chutney without fresh coconut it increases the shelf life by a day or two.

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For a very long time I’ve been wanting to make marble cake. I love how two different flavours hit your taste buds in each bite because of the marble effect. As much as I love the concept of marble cake, I didn’t want to try only the basic flavours. So instead of the usual vanilla-chocolate marble cake I tried mango and blueberry to create the marble effect. When I made this marble cake with two totally different flavours, to be honest I was a bit skeptical about the final taste. To my joy, with a burst of fresh mango flavour in each bite this unique Mango Blueberry Marble Cake turned out super soft and delicious. A vegan version is possible too by just using a plant-based milk. So here’s the recipe for yet another tasty dish with mangoes for this season.

Ingredients

MANGO CAKE BATTER

All purpose flour – 1 cup

Baking powder – 3/4 tsp

Bicarbonate of soda – 1/4 tsp

Salt – a pinch

Milk (any kind!) – 1/8 cup

Saffron – 1/2 tsp

Mango essence – 1/2 tsp

Olive oil – 1/4 cup

Sugar – 1/2 cup

White vinegar – 1/2 tsp

Mango puree – 1/2 cup

BLUEBERRY CAKE BATTER

All purpose flour – 1 cup

Baking powder – 3/4 tsp

Bicarbonate of soda – 1/4 tsp

Salt – a pinch

Milk (any kind!) – 1/8 cup

Cocoa powder – 1 tbsp

Vanilla essence – 1/2 tsp

Olive oil – 1/4 cup

Sugar – 1/2 cup

White vinegar – 1/2 tsp

Blueberry puree – 1/2 cup

Yield
16 slices

Prep time
30 mins

Cook time
50 mins

Method

1)   Sieve flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt separately for each cake batter. Set aside.

2)   Preheat the oven to 180℃ for 10 mins. Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

3)   Heat the milk (for both the batters) in two different mugs. Add saffron in one mug and mix well. Add cocoa powder in another mug and mix well. Set aside both the mugs.

4)   In a mixing bowl take mango essence, olive oil, sugar, vinegar and mango puree. Beat until the sugar dissolves and well combined. Set aside.

5)   In another mixing bowl take vanilla essence, olive oil, sugar, vinegar and blueberry puree. Beat until sugar dissolves and well combined. Set aside.

6)   Now take one set of dry ingredients and add the mango puree mixture and the milk saffron mixture to it. Mix everything gently using cut and fold method. Your mango cake batter is ready now. Set aside. 

7)   Take the second set of dry ingredients and add the blueberry puree mixture and the milk cocoa powder mixture to it. Mix everything gently usind cut and fold method. Your blueberry cake batter is ready. Set aside.

8)   Now take the prepared loaf tin, add 1/4 of the mango cake batter. Next add 1/4 of the blueberry cake batter on top of the mango cake batter. Keep alternating both the cake batters one on top of the other until all the batter is used up. Now to create the marble effect, with the back of a spoon make zigzag pattern on top of the batter. Both the batters will blend mildly with each other to create the marble look.  

9)   Gently tap the tin twice to remove any trapped air bubbles. Place the loaf tin in the middle rack of your preheated oven and bake at 180℃ for 45 to 50 mins. Switch off the heat after 50 mins and let the tin sit in the oven for a further 5 mins.

10)   Remove the tin from the oven, and place it on your counter top for 10 mins. After 10 mins upturn the tin on a wire rack and gently tap the back of the tin. Your Mango Blueberry Marble Cake will easily slide off the tin onto the wire rack. Allow it to cool completely.

11)   After the cake comes to room temperature, slice it up with a sharp knife. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or drizzle some warm mango preserve on top of the cake slice and enjoy.

Notes

1. To create a more intense flavour and colour I’ve added saffron and cocoa powder to both the cake batters. You can skip these two if you want. In that case add plain room temperature milk along with the wet ingredients and continue with the other steps.
2. You can bake this Mango Blueberry Marble Cake in any baking tray instead of a loaf tin.
3. You can add a pinch of cardamom powder to the mango batter to enhance the flavour more.
4. If you don’t have olive oil, you can use any neutral oil instead.
5. When alternating both the batters into the baking tray, be gentle and don’t try to even out the batters then and there. Let the batters settle one on top of the other in a natural pattern.
6. Also while making the zigzag pattern don’t go deep, cutting across the layers. Just make a pattern on top of the batter gently.
7. This  Mango Blueberry Marble Cake stays fresh for a couple of days at room temperature. By any chance if you have a few leftover slices then refrigerate and use within 4 or 5 days of baking.
8. Finally, if you are a fan of mango like me, then do try out my other mango based dessert – Mango Crater Bun.

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In this recipe I’ve not completely added all the tastes because I did not have neem flowers (to bring in the bitter taste) and when the mango is used with the skin the astringent taste also is incorporated. But personally I don’t like my maangaai pachchadi to have the outer skin of the mango. So this recipe is tailor made for my taste buds. If you want to include all six tastes then use mango with skin and in the tempering add neem flowers after the mustard seeds splutter and fry till it turns dark brown.

So here’s my recipe for a tasty Maangaai Pachchadi.

Ingredients

Sliced Mango – 3 cups (heaped)

Jaggery (powdered) – 1 cup

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Dried Red Chilly – 1

Water – 1 3/4 cups

Yield
3-4 cups

Prep time
20 mins

Cook time
30 mins

Method

1)   Wash the mango, peel and slice it roughly.

2)   In a wide heavy bottomed pan take the sliced mango and add 1 1/4 cups water and salt. Mix once, cover and cook on medium heat until soft and mushy. Stir in between to avoid the mango sticking to the bottom of the pan.

3)   While the mango is cooking, take the jaggery in another pan and add 1/2 cup of water. Cook this on medium heat, stirring continuously until the jaggery melts. Allow the jaggery water to boil for 5 mins. After 5 mins switch off the heat and set this aside.

4)   Once the mango cooks completely, reduce heat and strain the jaggery water (to get rid of any impurities) on top of this cooked mango. Stir, cover and cook on low to medium flame.

5)   Keep stirring periodically to avoid the maangaai pachchadi sticking to the bottom of the pan. The mango-jaggery mixture might splatter at this stage, so use a long handled stirring spoon to mix. After 10 to 12 mins of cooking, the pachchadi will thicken to a preserve consistency. Reduce the heat completely.

6)   Now heat a tempering pan and add the oil. Heat the oil a bit and add mustard seeds. Wait until it splutters and add dried red chilly. Fry for 30 s and add the tempering to the maangaai pachchadi. Mix once, switch off the heat and cool to room temperature.

7)   Transfer the maangaai pachchadi to a clean sterilised container and refrigerate. This pachchadi will stay fresh for 8 to 10 days when refrigerated.

Notes

1. I used a mango that was quite sour and hence added 1 cup jaggery. I prefer maangaai pachchadi to be sweet and sour equally. You can increase or decrease the amount of jaggery according to your taste preference and also according to the natural taste of the mango.
2. If you don’t have powdered jaggery and have only big chunks of jaggery, then try grating it in your vegetable grater. If it is too hard to grate then just heat up the lump of jaggery in microwave for 40 to 50 s. The hard jaggery will soften and you can easily grate it.
3. Traditionally, jaggery is used to make this dish. If you don’t have jaggery then try this with raw/brown sugar.
4. This recipe is safe for children. In this case, you may choose to leave out the chilly.

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