Avalakki Upkari | Udupi cuisine

Udupi cuisine is a cuisine of South India. It forms an important part of Tuluva-Mangalorean cuisine and takes its name from Udupi, a city on the southwest coast of India in the Tulunadu region.

This Udupi style preparation of flattened rice is one of the easiest dish you make in less than 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

1. Thin poha/Thin flattened rice - 3 cups
2. Onion - 1 small sized
3. Green chilies - 2
4. Dried red chilies - 2
5. Peanuts - handful
6. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon 
7. Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
8. Coconut grated- 1/2 cup
9. Cilantro/Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp chopped
10. Oil - 1 tablespoon
11. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan and roast peanuts. Set aside. 
2. Add 1 teaspoon of oil in the same pan and splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
3. Add slit green chilies, dried red chilies, curry leaves, salt and chopped onions. Saute till onions turn soft. 
4. Switch off the flame and add poha, grated coconut, roasted peanuts and around 2 tablespoon of water. Mix well till everything is well combined. Check for seasoning and add more salt if required.
5. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve. 

Note: Adding couple of tablespoons of water to poha will make it soft and easy to chew. 

I made this recipe as part of the "Shh Cooking Secretly" event. This is an event started by Priya of Priya's Versatile Recipe and now being taken forward by Mayuri of Mayuri's Jikoni.  At the beginning of the month a theme is chosen by one of the participants and all the participants are grouped in pairs. The participants will exchange 2 secret ingredients with their partners who are suppose to prepare a dish that matches the theme of that month. 

This month's theme is "Udupi Cuisine" and it was chosen by Jayashree Trao of "EverGreenDishes". My partner for this month is Aruna SarasChandra and she shared Green chilies and Coconut as my secret ingredients and I shared her Fenugreek and coconut as her ingredients. She made Udupi Saaru, an Udupi style preparation of Tomato Rasam. Do visit her blog "Vasu's Veg Kitchen" to find this  recipe.

Potato Sagu | Karnataka Style Potato Bhaji

Ingredients:

1. Potato - 2 large
2. Onion - 1 small
3. Tomato - 1 
4. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
5. Cumin seeds/ Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon
6. Urad dal - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Chana dal - 1 teaspoon
8. Green chili - 2-4
9. Besan/Gram flour - 1 tablespoon
10. Hing/Asafoetida - 3 pinch
11. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
12. Cilantro/Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp chopped
13. Oil - 2 tablespoon
14. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and boil the potatoes till they turn soft. You can pressure cook for 2 whistles. Once cooked, remove the skin and mash the potatoes.
2. Take a pan for sauteing and heat 2 tbsp of oil.
3. Splutter mustard and cumin seeds. 
4. Add urad dal and chana dal and saute till they turn brown.
5. Add hing, slit green chilies, curry leaves and chopped onion. Add salt and saute till onions turn translucent.
6. Add chopped tomatoes and saute for 2-3 min.
7. Add 2 tablespoon of water to besan and mix well to remove any clumps.
8. Reduce the flame and add besan water and mix well.
9. Add mashed potatoes, salt and water to get desired consistency. Start by adding 1 cup water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and turn off the flame.

Serve with poori/chapathi.