This is a great breakfast or evening snack item. Very delicious one. When I was a kid, we used to grow cucumber in our backyard. So there was a huge list of items prepared with this. There was one more kind of squash (called Magge in Konkani, Mangalore Southe kayi in Kannada) which can also be used for all these recipes.
In North Kanara, people grow turmeric in the backyard. The turmeric leaves are used in a variety of dishes for the great aroma. Its called Haldi panna in Konkani. Some people absolutely hate this aroma!!.
I still remember those days when we used to come home drenched in rain and aayi used to give us hot taushe bhakri. I used to call it Moti Bhakri (Thick roti) to distinguish between 3 types of cucumber rotis. I wish those days could come back.
Ingredients: Cucumber (Grated) 1 cup Coconut(Grated) 3/4th cup Rice 3/4th cup Sugar 1/2 tea spn Ghee 1 tea spn Banana Leaves (Optional) or turmeric leaves(Haldi panna) Salt
Method: Soak rice in water for 10min. Drain water and spread rice on a paper and allow it to dry for 15-20 min. Then grind it into a coarse rava (rice sooji). I tried to use ready made Rice sooji for this, but result was not as delicious as the home made one. Mix cucumber, rava, coconut, ghee, sugar, salt (Do not add water) and leave it for 30min. In a shallow pan, keep a banana leaf(or haldi leaves) then transfer the cucumber mixture and spread with hand, cover with banana leaf(or haldi leaves) on top. (Since I was not having banana leaf, I just poured the mixture in a shallow tava). Cook on a low flame till it turns slightly brownish in color, turn and cook from the other side. (Banana or haldi leaves gives a great aroma to this dish). Serve hot.
Serves : 2 Preparation time : 45min
After trying many things with my limited resources here, I have been trying my luck with cakes these days. Before coming here, I knew only two types of cakes, one is the simple egg cake and the delicious date cake. I will post the recipes of these two soon.I had thought that preparing cake is very difficult and long procedure. But now I think it is as simple as any other dish. But still I can not make the fabulous looking cakes that we get in bakery. I hope one or the other day I will succeed in making them too.
Recently I had lot of ripe bananas at home. So I cooked all possible dishes with them. This cake was one of them.
Ingredients: Banana 1 Egg 1 All purpose flour 1 cup Baking soda 1 tea spn Sugar 3/4th cup Butter 1/2 cup Cashew nuts 1 tbl spn Salt 1/4th tea spn
PS: If you use ‘baking powder’ instead of ‘baking soda’, cake becomes a bit harder.
Method: Sieve together flour and soda. Keep it aside. Beat sugar in butter till it becomes a smooth paste. Then add egg and beat again. Now add mashed banana and mix well. Add this mixture to flour and mix slowly. Add some cashew nuts if desired. Bake in a greased vessel for 40min at 350F.
Makes : 8 pieces Preparation time : 1 hr(Including baking time)
