A Malnad getaway

We took a weeklong road trip to several places in Malnad. Its one of the best trips I have made so far as it got more special when it turned out to be my birthday surprise. yayaayayy!
Malnad is covered in vivid green swathes of land, soothing water bodies and hundreds of interesting homestays. Having chosen to travel this time of the year(late august-early september), is ideal for it has got the lovely weather.

On our driveway

The most loved thing about this trip was driving through these roads.

We spotted king cobras, some white ibis and a bison. We began our journey very early in the morning and first headed to Chickmagalur, the coffee district that is set at a height of 3400 ft. This district is home to thousands of coffee plantations and this place is where the much loved coffee beverage is first introduced to India. Baba Budan, a sufi mystic from Yemen came to India with eleven coffee beans and settled in a cave in Chandra Drona Parvatha (which is now called Baba Budanagiri hills) . The first coffee bean was sowed by Baba Budan ,later during the British rule the coffee plantations were developed in vast expanses.

Chickmagalur (meaning 'The Younger daughter's City') is a dowry given by a local Chieftian Rukmangada Raya of Sakerpatna. Somewhere nearby, there is also Hiremangalur  , which is the dowry given to the elder daughter.

The Hidden Valley Homestay

Lakeview from our room

View of the cottage from the boat

We stayed in a rustic looking 'The Hidden Valley Homestay' near Chickmagalur. The stay was splendid by all means. The cottage is beautifully placed in the midst of a 30 acre coffee plantation. We had our room facing the serene manmade lake.

Feeding these creatures some breakfast

Ahhh..the swing..

Be it waking up to roosters crow or watching the ducks and geese floating in the lake -the ambiance of this place sure puts one in perfect happiness.

Early Morning Trekking

Pepper Vine climbing on Silver Oak tree. The leaves look similar to Betel leaves.

Green Cardamon- Just plucked from the plant. Back home flavored payasam with these fresh ones. 

Temple in Mullaiyanagiri peak point 

On our 3 days halt there, we visited several places nearby-Shankar Falls, Mullaiyanagiri peak point, Coffee Museum, and the Serai. Mullaiyanagiri is at the height of 6322 ft and is the Karanataka's highest peak. Driving up there was so daring and risky as the roads got narrower and bumpy as we climbed up. There is this ancient Mullapaswamy temple (for lord Shiva), which can been seen after climbing 400 steps from the top of the hill. The whole spot is covered in a thick veil of mist and drizzle. It put me to wonder how the priest with his family living there with nothing but the temple and sky above. We were told that during the summer, 'the Sunrise' view is spectacular. From there, we headed to the city of Chickmagalur and did our Coffee and Spice shopping in Panduranga Coffee works.

Butter Masala Dosa | Gulab Jamun | Filter Coffee

Don't miss the Town Canteen

Followed by that, we visited the much loved 'Town Canteen'. I tell you, I can visit Chickmagalur just for their  Gulab Jamuns(they are the best,could smell the rosa damesca!) and Butter Masala Dosa. Though the filter coffee was not up to my expectations.

Cafe Coffee Day's Serai Resort

We visited Coffee Museum that is operated by the Coffee Board of India. It was interesting to learn the 'bean to brew process' and various types of coffee in existence. Later in the evening we decided to check out the Serai resort, owned by the Cafe Coffee day. It had so many villas with built in pools and is a perfect spot for lazy honeymooners. We just had coffee at their coffee shop and had some views of the great property.

Kolavera Heritage Homestay

Insdie Kolavera Homestay

Lovely isn't it?

The next day, we left Chickmagalur and headed to Kolavara Homestay in Shimoga district located near Thirthahalli. And this place is even better. To experience the true Malnad , one must choose to stay in Kolavera Homestay.

Areca nut and betel leaves

I could never find one fault with them. Be it the rich and delicious Malnad food or the comfy ,traditional rooms - I just couldn't leave the place! Kolavera is an 100 year old ancestral property that has this huge villa set amidst a areca nut plantation. You can find a mini waterfalls and a large lake in between their plantation.

Waterfalls in Kolavera

Kolavera Home -backside view

The rooms are kept sparkling clean and the exemplary hosts made you really 'feel at home' :). If one is for homemade wines, they get to purchase one from their interesting choice of wines- Arecanut wine, Jackfruit wine, Pineapple wine and even Mango wine. Food was not only delicious and had variety but they are of great quality. When planning a trip to this region of Karantaka, do yourself a favor and choose to stay in this place!

Kolavera Rubber Plantation

Sri Sharadamba Temple, Shringeri

While our stay in Kolavera, we visited the famous 'Sri Sharadamba temple' in Shringeri. Its a 8th century temple, founded by Sri Adi Shankarachariya. The idol of Sharambamba is made of Sandalwood. It is said that Adi Shankarachariya was walking by the river Tunga and found a Cobra with its hood giving shelter to a frog. Instantly, he felt this place has the power to break hostility that goes beyond natural instincts. He decided to stay here and later established this temple.

Sirimane Waterfalls

About 10 Kms from Shringeri, is the Sirimane waterfalls. People usually visit the temple by morning 10am-11am and finish the lunch and would flock to the waterfalls by around 12ish time. So to skip that crowd, one can plan like we did, be there at waterfalls by around 11am. There are changing rooms and the place is pretty safe and well maintained. 'Must come back again'- we said to ourselves.

A View from Kundadri Hill Top

Jain Temple in Kundadri Hills

 From there we headed to Kundadri hills, climbing up the hill took us about 20 minutes. The roads are so narrow and steep. The entire drive was on first gear- so you can imagine! But once we reach the spot, we were taken by awe. There is a 3000 years old Buddha temple with a 80 feet deep pond adjacent to it. Something was there about the place which give one a mystical feeling. The elevation, the pond and the ancient temple structure -altogether it was a surreal experience.

Jog Falls

The next day, we vacated our room and left to Jog falls. Created by Sharavathi River , they fall from a height of 830ft . Based on their flow, the four distinct falls are named Raja, Roarer, Rocket and Rani. The place is so crowded and we hired a guide (who was helpful in taking the crew for the 'Kumki' movie shooting). He was bit over-enthusiastic about us speaking Tamil and had to talk more about the Kumki movie making than the Waterfalls itself :P Anyways, we didn't love this place as much as we did the others. Of course the , view of the mammoth falls was a wow factor but the place itself was very touristy. The drive up and down the hill was spectacular. The pineapple sold in this region tastes super sweet and we end up buying some for home.

Jog Falls happened to be our final destination in this weeklong trip. We enjoyed to our heart's content and drove back home as fast as we could. Though the places were amazing, we were tired and started missing home. It was pouring and the darkness set in. The roads were bad and after 8 hours of driving we're finally back home just past midnight.

Vegetarian Momo/Dim sum | A step-by-step guide to folding Momo

Vegetarian momo easily tops the list of my favorite finger foods. It is light, flavor-packed and never boring! The serving portion that I get from a momo stall is too small for the price I pay for,so I taught myself to make it at home. The filling for the momo can be varied. I have used many variations by adding crumbled paneer, radishes, carrots, onions, soy granules, etc. One can also used minced meat. So whatever you feel can do justice to the momos can be added in :) 
In this recipe, I have used cabbages, carrots and radishes. It is sautéed for few minutes until the liquid is all dried up. But I learnt recently that, when the fillings are used uncooked, then you end with more juicy momos. Also working with minced meat as filling is lot easier than with vegetables. Sautéed vegetables binds well as  cooking softens them.

Preparation time: 1 hour 20 mintues
Cooking time : 15 minutes
Makes : 25-30 Momos

Ingredients:

For the momo wrappers
2 Cups of plain flour/Maida
A big pinch of salt
2 tsp of oil
Water for kneading

For the filling
1/2 of one big head of cabbage, grated
1 raddish, grated
2 medium sized carrot, grated
1 small inch piece of ginger, grated
1/2 tbsp of oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour , salt and oil. Mix thoroughly. Add water little by little and knead the dough to a smooth ball.
TIP: Knead the dough continously for 5-7 minutes. This helps to stretch the gluten in the flour and you get smooth wrappers. This step is very important as the final outcome lies in the quality of the wrapper. The wrapper should feel smooth and elastic.
Cover and let the dough rest for a while.



2. In a pan, heat oil and add the grated vegetables and ginger. Add salt and pepper. Cook the liquid from the vegetable have gone dry.
TIP: For juicer momos, you can avoid sautéing the filling. Just mix together all the grated vegetables with the oil and seasoning and use as such.

3. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Roll each portion between the palms to make a even log. Using a knife, cut 15 equal portions from each log of dough. 



4. Dust the dough ball in some dry flour/maida and roll it into a thin disc (about the size of your palm) Make sure the edges of the disc are thinner compared to the middle.
TIP: Use a moist cloth to cover the dough while working. Make sure the discs are also kept covered to prevent from drying(you could use a old magazine) If the rolled discs are stacked one over the other, ensure it is dusted with dry flour/maida to prevent from sticking to each other.



5. Take one of the discs, and spoon in the filling mixture in the middle portion. Ensure you leave quarter inch gap from the mixture to the edges for sealing the wrapper. Gather the two sides of the disc and pinch in the middle. Pinch the end of right side of the momo as shown in pic 1 of the collage below. You can see a rabbit ear shape sticking out, press down to the seam as shown in pic 2 of the collage. Now repeat the same on the left side of the momo.  The finished one will look like a half moon. 




6. In a steamer/Idli cooker, pour required water and let it come to a boil. Grease the steaming plate with some oil and arrange the momos. Place it inside the steamer and cook for about 15 minutes. There you have it..steaming hot momos!



You can complement this mellow momos with this fiery Tibetan chutney.

Tibetan Hot Chutney 



Ingredients:
10 dried red chillies (if using the low heat variety, else 5 will do)
1 tomato, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 inch piece of ginger
1 tbsp vinegar/ lime juice
A pinch of sugar
salt to taste



1. Soak the red chillies in some water for an hour.
2. Strain the water and puree the soaked chillies with tomatoes, garlic, ginger, salt and vinegar.
3. Add a tbsp of water to aid blending. Check for salt and you are done.

 You see, the pleats that was painstakingly created while sealing the momo is all worth it--when you dunk one into the chutney, the pleats beautifully collects the saucey goodness!

Mango Shrikhand a.k.a Aamrakhand | Mango dessert

In our part of the world, Mangoes are probably the only joys of summer. The blistering hot climate and frequent power cuts make this season totally an unpleasant experience in India. But on the brighter side, summer offers surplus of mangoes in myriad of varieties. And that equals many  heavenly mango desserts for the summer time :) Aamrakhand is very famous in northern part of India and loved by most people. This post is my take on this dessert and its finger-licking good! Plus, you will just need 3 ingredients to put together. 

For this recipe, I recommend using two different kinds of mangoes : Alphonso, for its orangish color and Himayat/Himampasand for taste.
If you can't find these, it is still okay to use any variety of mango provided it is flavorful and sweet.
Those who can't source mangoes in their region, can enjoy making this with store bought mango pulp.

 Alphonso Mangoes

The simplest, absolutely mango-licious dessert, Aamrakhand recipe as follows...

Preparation time: 3 hours 
Cooking time : Nil
Serves: 5 people

You will need:
4 medium sized Alphonso Mangoes (or) 2 Cups of Mango pulp
1 large Himayat/Himampasand Mango
400 ml Curd for hung curd (or) 1.25 Cups of greek yogurt
Powdered sugar or Honey to taste

Procedure:

To make hung curd: Line a strainer with a clean piece of cotton/muslin cloth. Pour the curd onto it and gather the edges of the cloth to squeeze gently the excess water from the curd. You can tie the ends of the cloth together to hang them to drain the excess water out for an hour.(Just like making Paneer at home). Then refrigerate with the cloth wrapped for another hour. There you have it- 'hung curd'.
If your super market carries, greek yogurt then you are lucky. Just use that in place of hung curd.



Peel the alphonso mangoes and remove the flesh off the seed. Throw them in a blender and puree them smooth.



Transfer the mango puree in a bowl. Stir in the hung curd/ greek yogurt until well combined.
The mixture should be smooth. To ensure there are no curd lumps, you can pass through a strainer.



The mangoes sweetness can vary depending on the variety used. So taste the mixture and add the sweetener of your choice accordingly. I usually add approximately 2 tbsp of powdered sugar for the proportion given in this recipe.



Peel the Himayat mango and dice them into cubes. This is a extremely sweet kind of mango and the flesh is nice and firm. Fold the mango cubes into the mango mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least for an hour before serving.

Custardy Mango delight with bites of fresh mango pieces in it. It sure deserves the name 'Death by Mango'

Enjoy this season's mangoes to your heart's content...

Chilli Bajji with Salad Stuffing

Who doesn't love Bajjis? Especially Chilly Bajji.. I am sure there are many out there who are staunch fan of this fiery hot snack. This snack is simple and easy to make. It is too good on its own. But if you want the extra little something, then I would suggest stuffing it with some salad. The freshness from the salad pairs beautifully with the hot Bajji. I have had these Bajjis in many different ways, with Gongura chutney, green chutney, ketchup, coconut chutney and even stuffed with masalas. The best one is with some fresh indian salad and a nice squeeze of lime. The flavors of raw vegetables in the salad counter balances the heat and heaviness of the fried food.

Preparation time: 15 Minutes

Serves : 2-3 people

Calories: 142 / piece

You will need:

10 Chillies,the large ones (Banana peppers are ideal)

6 tbsp Besan/Chickpea flour/Kadala mavu

4 tbsp Rice flour

1 tsp red chilly powder

1/2 tsp amchoor powder, optional

1 tsp salt

Oil for deep frying

For the stuffing:

1 small carrot,peeled and shredded

1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped finely

1 tomato, chopped finely

1 onion, chopped finely

few sprigs of coriander leaves, chopped finely

1 lemon

Salt to taste

Chaat masala to taste

Procedure:

Wash the chilly peppers and pat them dry.

Heat oil in a wide bottomed pan for frying.

In a bowl, mix the besan, rice flour, salt, chilly powder and amchoor. Add about 1/4 cup of water and stir well to create a lump free mixture. Add a tbsp or more of water to make the batter similar to that of idly batter consistency.

The oil should be hot but not smoking. Dip a chilly pepper into the batter and drop in the oil gently. Fry till golden brown in med-low heat. 

Prepare the salad by mixing all the vegetables together. Add salt, chaat masala as per taste. Squeeze half the lemon and mix well.

Slit the fried bajji in the middle and stuff the salad inside. Squeeze more lemon on top if desired. Enjoy immediately!

If you feel the peppers have got more heat, I'd suggest to remove the seeds in the fried bajjis before stuffing the salad.

Perfect snack for a rainy day ..or anyday :)