Ragi – FingerMillet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_millet
Ragi Muddey – Ragi flour cooked and shaped into balls
Bassaru – ‘Basida Saaru’- Filtered liquid curry
Chikkudu kayi – Chapparada avarey kayi- Indian Broad beans
Oggaraney – Seasoning
Ragi Muddey:
It has been a big break from the blogging. But always kept updated about blog world, popped in my favorite blogs once in a way though never had time to comment on, cooked few dishes learnt from bloggers. Some still keeping in touch, loads of thanks to them.
Coming back to namma Bengaluru(my Bangalore) much later after a forced good stay at abroad, the memories are slowly unwinding, i would rather say my nostril are opening up with olden aromas, which is hard to believe that once Bangalore used to be the place where i could sense these smells.
I am not sure in this so called Bangalore metro anybody can feel these aromas any more, but sure to feel it in country side if it has still not lost its innocent ambience. That was how my father taught me the ‘culture’ of picking the aroma of hot Ragi balls that is being cooked outside a hut, as a food for poorer lot especially while driving or riding back home late evenings.
It used to be kind of very tempting hot smell of wood fire, aluminum vessel and ragi flour getting cooked. Once the smell is sensed, you are assured of a family close by, though there are no lights to be seen anywhere around. My father just survived on those Ragi balls for those many years and little rice. Its amazing to know that in many parts of Karnataka, its still a staple food in most of the households,and people with same interest and respect make those muddey.—————————————————————————————————————————-
For those of you, who are really adventurous foodies and would like to taste a bit of every part of India can try this making at home with little Ragi flour available in most of the super markets. Those of you who really liked the taste can go through the elaborate process of storing large amount of Ragi flour and add up in everyday diet, as Ragi is rich source of calcium.
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Then goes the following procedure of making muddey.
Try for one person, that is to try with yourself
Ragi flour – 100 gm
Water - 200 ml
salt – little or not required
Ghee- 1/4 tsp
Very simple procedure, but needs a li’l bit of practice.
Boil the water in a aluminum vessel along with salt and ghee and little powder. Simmer it and add up Ragi flour, little by little simultaneously whisking the ingredient, with a wooden spoon or a small but thick stick, so that there should not be any lumps formed and slowly it gets thicker.
Close the lid and keep on low flame for about 2 min’s. Cook to desired consistency. Put off the burner. Take two big spoonful of paste , place it on a wooden top and roll on it to make balls with wet hands when it is warm. Eat with Ghee if you are not calorie conscious. Ruchi also has a variation in ragi mudde preparation, check it out!!
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Bassaru:
This is typical village charu or saaru or watery curry which is cooked with one or more vegetables and lentil or whole moong with different kind of greens. There is distinct combination when using vegetables for this curry. What adds up to the curry is the combined flavor of vegetables and masala that goes together. This is a typical curry that goes very well with Ragi muddey.
Ingredients:
Toor Dal - Yellow Lentil - 150gm
Cabbage – 100 gms chooped
Chikkudu Kayi - broad beans – 100 gms chopped
The quantity of each ingredient varies according to the taste as some can prefer vegetables more or some may prefer lentil more. But this can give approximately 4 servings of dry fry.
For masala:
Coconut – 2 Tbsp
Tamarind – half lemon size
coriander leaves – half fist full
onion – one small chopped into two parts
huli pudi – sambar powder (home made or Shakthi Sambar powder) – 1Tbsp
Jeera – 1/4 tsp
curry leaves – two strings
Cooked toordal cabbage chikkudu – 2 tbsp
Pallya oggaraney - dry fry seasoning
Oil – 1Tbsp
Mustard – 1/2 tsp
Red chillis – 2 long one broken into halves
Curry leaves – one string
To start with:
Boil lentil with water in a vessel till Lentil get little more than half cooked. Add Cabbage and Chikkudu and cover cook till the vegetables get cooked. Drain the whole ingredient, so that the Lentil and vegetables are separated by thin kattu or liquid of dal water. Keep aside both.
For Dry fry,
Now the dal and vegetables should be allowed to cool completely, make sure that dal is not over cooked. Add pallya oggaraney. Dry mix the vegetables for a minute or two along with salt and oggaraney.
For curry,
Fry one part of onion, cumin seeds and curry leaves in oil till transparent. Add coconut, tarmarind, hulipudi, coriander leaves and second part of raw onion. Blend all the ingredients to a fine paste. Add, 2 Tbs cooked toordal cabbage chikkudu mixture. Grind again to fine paste. Mix the paste with drained lentil water or kattu. Bring to boil. Add salt. Oggaraney with mustard and curry leaves.
…yes..guessed it right, it would have been better if it was really hectic and less chaotic… i dont know i am not seems to be systematic any more. Kitchen is all packed and set to move this week end (i.e Friday,). Somehow was feeling odd to cut a sorry figure to Sailaja for not participating in the event. Then, I just remembered long forgotten whole black gram still in my store, and went to a neighbour with a cup to get some Rajma(kidney beans).
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