Akki Roti

Akki Roti is a rice-based breakfast item unique to the state of Karnataka, India. Ak ki-Rotti means rice-pancake in the native language, Kannada. It is made of rice flour which is mixed with salt and water and kneaded well to make a soft dough. Sliced onions and carrots, chopped coriander leaves and cumin seeds can also be added while kneading the dough for taste. Oil is spread over a griddle and a small amount of the dough is neatly spread over it to resemble a thin pancake (rotti). A small amount of oil is spread over it and the griddle is placed over heat till the rotti turns golden brown. Akki Roti is served hot and is eaten along with chutney. A dash of butter with Akki Rotti is also preferred. This is my favorite dish and my mom prepared it often growing up.


Ingredients:
Rice flour - 3 cups
Carrot  - 1 medium grated
Lilva papdi/avarekai - 1 cup (optional)
Bell pepper  - half diced
Onion - 1 medium chopped
Curry leaves - 2 strings
Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch chopped
Cumin seeds - 1 tblsp
Green chillies - 4 or 5 chopped
Coconut grated - 1/2 cup fresh or dry
Salt to taste


Hot water - to mix

Method:
1.  Mix rice flour with grated carrots, lilva papdi/avarekai, chopped bell pepper, chopped onion, chopped curry leaves, corriander leaves, cumin seeds, chopped green chillies, grated coconut, chopped corriander leaves, and salt.
2.  Add just enough boiling water to this and knead.
3.  Make it to tennis size balls.
4.  Flatten the dough on a plastic sheet with your hand
5.  Gently transfer the flattened roti to a cast iron griddle or skillet
6.  Add a tsp of oil around it and cover it
7.  Cook on medium flame till done
8.  Serve with chutney.

Kashmiri Dum Aloo for Indian Cooking Challenge

The Indian cooking challenge for November is "Kashmiri Dum Aloo".  This event is hosted by Srivalli of Spicing your Life.  Dum Aloo is named so because it is cooked under Dum or pressure in its own juices.

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes - 1 Kg
Cumin seeds, - 1 tsp roasted and powdered
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Kashmiri red chillies - 3-4 nos  roasted and powdered
Fresh yoghurt - 2 & 1/2 cups (must not be sour)
Ginger powder - 1 tsp
Fennel/aniseed powder - 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard oil - 4 tbsps
Cloves roasted and powdered - 6
A pinch of asafoetida
Cooking oil - to deep fry potatoes
Salt to taste
A cup of firm dough made from flour and water

Method:

1.  Wash the potatoes well, peel, and poke all over with a fork.  Soak in water for 20 minutes. Mix a tsp of salt to the water and soak the potatoes.
2.  Heat a pan with oil for deep frying, reduce to medium flame and roast all the potatoes till golden in color. Drain on a kitchen towel and keep aside.
3.  Make a paste of yogurt, chili powder, ginger, cardamom and fennel powders.  Add the potatoes well with this mixture and keep it aside.
4.  Heat the mustard oil in another pan, add the clove powder and asafetida and mix well. Add a half cup of hot water and salt to taste and bring to a boil.
5.  Add in the potato-yoghurt mix, stir thoroughly and cover.
6.  Seal the edges of the pan's cover with the dough to ensure no steam can escape. Put on the stove, cook on a low flame for 10-15 minutes.
7.  Turn off the flame, remove the cover and add the cumin and garam masala powders, and cover again quickly. Leave for few minutes.
8.  Serve hot with Chapatis or Naan.

Chocolate Cake

I made this chocolate cake for our friend Ajay's birthday.  I used a simple recipe from  a cook book and decorated with butter cream icing.