Uluva Kanji | Karkidaka Kanji | Fenugreek seeds Congee

Uluva Kanji is a  traditional dish made in Kerala during the monsoon season. This dish made with rice and fenugreek and flavored with lots of coconut and jaggery. The bitterness of the fenugreek is hardly noticeable in this delicious dish. 

In Malayalam, the word "Uluva" means Fenugreek, and "Kanji" refers to congee, hence the name. This dish is also known as Karkidaka Kanji because it is usually made during "Karkidaka Masam".  Karkidaka Masam is a month in Malayalam Calendar while in the Gregorian Calendar it corresponds to the months of July to August. The nutrients in the fenugreek are believed to ward off any ailments that are typically seen during the rainy season. 

The fenugreek is believed to be rich in nutrients. It is good for controlling diabetics, menstrual cramps, high cholesterol, and many other conditions(Reference: WebMD) It is also known to increase milk production in lactating mothers. This dish is also taken during the "Post-delivery care" in Kerala.

Ingredients:

1. Fenugreek seeds/ Uluva/ Methi seeds - 3 tablespoon
2. Raw rice(see notes below) - 1/4 cup
3. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
4. Grated jaggery - 1/2 cup
5. Salt - 1/8 teaspoon

Method:

1. Wash and soak fenugreek seeds in 2 cups of water for at least 5 hours. 
2. Wash the raw rice and pressure cook along with soaked fenugreek seeds for 4-5 whistles. Do not discard the water used for soaking fenugreek, use the same for pressure cooking.  
3. Once the pressure subsides, open the pressure cooker and add grated jaggery, grated coconut, and salt. 
4. Allow the mixture to boil for a couple of minutes and try off the stove.

Uluva Kanji is ready to serve.

Notes:

1. Typically red raw rice is used for making this dish. But it can be replaced with other varieties of raw rice like the sona masoori or jeera rice.
2. People with diabetes can omit jaggery altogether and make the savory version by adding salt. 

"Shhhhh Cooking  Secretly" is a monthly challenge in the Facebook group. 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 supposed to prepare a dish that matches the theme of that month.

This month's theme was "Fear Not The Bitter" and it was chosen by Seema who blogs at MildlyIndian. I can't wait to try her Mulberry Breakfast Parfait and Black Rice Ladoos.

My partner for June 2021 is Preethi Prasad. She gave me jaggery and fenugreek as my secret ingredients. I gave her neem flower and amchur and she made a very unique and delicious curry - Neem flower and chickpea curry. Do check her blog for the recipe. Also, I cant wait to try her Beetroot Corn Bites and Quinoa Beetroot patties. 

Odia Manda Pitha

Manda Pitha is a traditional sweet dish from Odisha. It is a coconut jaggery dumpling made with rice flour. It is very similar to dishes like Modak from Maharashtra, Kozhukatta from Kerala, and Kozhukattai from Tamil cuisine. 

This steamed dish is prepared during festivals falling on monsoon and post-monsoon seasons like Manabasa Gurubara, Durga Puja, Kumar Purnima, or Rakhi Purni. (Reference: wiki)

Ingredients:

1. Rice flour (fine) - 1 cup
2. Jaggery grated- 1/2 cup 
3. Coconut grated - 3/4 cup 
4. Cardamom pods - 2-3
5. Black pepper powder - 1 teaspoon
6. Salt - 1 pinch

Method:

1. Boil 1 cup of water and add a pinch of salt. 
2. Add rice flour to boiling water and turn off the stove. Mix it thoroughly until all the water is absorbed. 
3. Cover it and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes. When it is cool enough to handle, knead it thoroughly until it forms a smooth non-sticky dough.
4. Mix grated coconut, jaggery powder, black pepper powder, and cardamom powder and set aside. If you think there are impurities in your jaggery, melt it with a couple of tablespoons of water, strain it and transfer the liquid jaggery back to the stove. Boil it till it thickens and add grated coconut, black pepper powder, and cardamom powder.
5. To make the pitha, take a small lemon-sized dough. Flatten it on your palms, add around 2 teaspoons of filling in the middle and roll it back into a ball as shown in the picture. 
   
6. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough. 
7. Use a steamer and boil water in the bottom vessel. Place the pitha balls in the steamer rack and steam for 15 minutes.
8. Turn off the stove after 15 minutes and keep it covered for 5 minutes before serving. 

"Shhhhh Cooking  Secretly" is a monthly challenge in the Facebook group. 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 supposed to prepare a dish that matches the theme of that month.

This month's theme was "Odia Pitha Series" and it was chosen by Sasmita Sahoo Samanta who blogs at First Timer Cook. Do check Sasmita's blog for a huge collection of Odia dishes and some of them worth mentioning include Chandrakanthi Pitha and Chaula Khiri. 

My partner for May 2021 is Poonam Bachhav. She gave me jaggery and cardamom as my secret ingredients. I gave her jaggery and black pepper and she made Suji Kakara Pitha. Her blog has a wide collection of delicious healthy recipes. Some of them which I want to try to make include Karachi Fruit Biscuits and Whole Wheat Nankathai.