Bell Pepper Open Sandwich

Ingredients:
Ciabatta bread-2
Garlic butter-2-3tbsp
Bell peppers-1cup(any color or mixed color)
Tomato-1 
Cheddar cheese(grated)-1/2cup
Dried Italian mixed herbs-1/2tsp
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1.Cut  the ciabatta rolls into halves horizontally and keep it aside.
2.Cut the bell peppers into stripes and same with tomato, deseeded and cut lengthwise.
3.Apply garlic butter on the bread slices,then top it with peppers and tomato pieces.
4.Sprinkle salt n pepper on top,then top it with grated cheese.Sprinkle dried herbs on top.
5.Bake or grill in a Preheated oven at 180'c for 7-minutes or until cheese melts.Serve immediately.

Palak Paneer Pulav

Ingredients:
Palak/Spinach-1 bunch
Rice-2 cups
Green chillies-2, slitted
Onion-2,sliced
Ginger garlic paste-2tsp
Jeera powder-1tsp
Jeera/cumin seeds-1tsp
Garam masala-1tsp
Chilli powder-1tsp
Ghee-1tbsp
Salt to taste
Lime /Lemon to serve
Paneer-100gms

Method:
1.Wash and chop the palak roughly and keep it aside.Soak the rice for 10 minutes.
2.Cut the paneer into cubes ans shallow fry them with little ghee and keep it aside.
3.In a pan heat ghee,add jeera when it begins to pop,add onions, slitted green chillies and ginger garlic paste,fry until onion becomes translucent.
4.Now add chopped palak and saute until it wilts,then add salt,chilli powder,jeera powder
and garam masala,fry for 2-minutes.
5.Add 4 cups of water and let it boil,when the water begins to boil,add rice and cook until done.
6.Fluff the rice with fork and mix paneer pieces with the rice,serve hot with lemon wedge.

Khara pongal/Huggianna/khichidi

Ingredients:
Rice-1cup
Moongdal/Hesarubele-1/2cup
Salt to taste
Ginger,finely chopped-1tsp
Green chillies-3,slited
Cumin seeds-1tsp
Peppercorns-1tsp
Cinnamon stick-1"piece
Mustard seeds-1/2tsp
Methi/Fenugreek seeds-6
Hing/Asafoetida-pinch
Turmeric-1/4tsp
Curryleaves-2sprigs
Roasted Cumin powder-1/2tsp
Crushed pepper powder-1/2tsp
Dry red chilli-1
Copra/desiccated coconut-1tbsp
Ghee-1tbsp
Oil-1tbsp
Fresh Coriander-1tbsp

Method:
1.Wash and soak moongdal and rice for 15minutes.
2. Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker,add mustard, cumin,cinnamon stick,peppercorns,hing and methi 
seeds.When the began to splutter add dry red chilli,green chilli,ginger,curry leaves and turmeric,saute for 
2minutes then add soaked rice and dal mix well with spices add 4-cups of water and salt to taste.
3.Now add copra,coriander,roasted cumin powder and pepper powder,close the cooker lid and allow for
2-3whistles.Khara pongal is ready to serve.
4.Serve hot with coconut chutney and Sweet pongal.

Belladanna/Sweet pongal/Gud ka chawal

Ingredients:
Rice-1/2cup
Moongdal/Hesarubele-1/2cup
Jaggery-1cup
Ghee/Tuppa-2tbsp
Cardamom powder-1/4tsp
Copra grated/Cobari turi-2tbsp
Cashew nuts-fistful
Raisins-fistful

Method:

1.Lightly dry roast moong dal to golden colour.Soak moongdal and rice for 15minutes and cook the rice with 2cups of water in a pressure cooker for 2 -3 whistles.Allow to cool.

2.Along with the above process,melt jaggery with 1/4cup water in a pan and allow 5-10minutes to cook until it becomes syrup.

3.Fry both cashews and raisins separately in ghee and keep it aside.

4.When cooker cools down,remove the lid and mix Jaggery syrup,cardamom powder,copra and remaining ghee and allow to cook for 10 minutes on a medium to low flame.Remove from the flame,garnish with nuts and raisins.

Serve Hot with Khara pongal.

     I am sending my Entries to Priya's

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Makara Sankranti with Ellu-Bella

Makar Sankranti or Makara Sankranti is one of the most auspicious occasions for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of India in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion, fervour, and gaiety. It is a harvest festival. Makar Sankranti is perhaps the only Indian festival whose date always falls on the same day every year on, January 14, with some exception, when the festival is celebrated on January 13 or January 15.

Sankranti offering "Ellu Bella" in Karnataka

This is the Suggi or harvest festival for farmers of Kaveri basin of Karnataka. On this auspicious day, young females (kids & teenagers) wear new clothes to visit near and dear ones with a Sankranti offering in a plate, and exchange the same with other families. This ritual is called "Ellu Birodhu." Here the plate would normally contain "Ellu" (white sesame seeds) mixed with fried groundnuts, neatly cut dry coconut & fine cut bella (Jaggery). The mixture is called "Ellu-Bella" (ಎಳ್ಳು ಬೆಲ್ಲ). The plate will also contain sugar candy molds of various shapes (Sakkare Acchu, ಸಕ್ಕರೆ ಅಚ್ಚು) with a piece of sugarcane. There is a saying in Kannada "ellu bella thindu olle maathadi" which translates to 'eat the mixture of sesame seeds and jaggery and speak only good.' This festival signifies the harvest of the season, since sugarcane is predominant in these parts.There is also a tradition of some households giving away red berries "Yalchi Kai" along with the above. In North Karnataka, kite flying with community members is also a tradition. Drawing rangole in groups is another popular event among women during Sankranti.An important ritual is display of cows and cattle in colourful costumes in an open field. Cows are decorated for the occasion and taken on a procession. They are also made to cross a pyre. This ritual is common in rural Karnataka and is called "Kichchu Haayisuvudu  

 Source:Wikipedia

Ingredients for Ellu-Bella:

Sesame seeds/Ellu-1cup
Jaggery/Bella-1big block
Copra/Dry coconut/cobari-1
Puff channa/Hurigadle-1/2cup
Peanuts/Kadlebeeja-1/2cup

Method:
1.Lightly dry roast the sesame seeds on low flame or in a oven and keep it aside.
2.Cut the jaggery into small cubes and keep it aside.
3.Gently grate and remove the brown skin of copra and cut it into small cubes and keep it aside.
4.Lightly dry  roast the channa and keep it aside.
5.Dry roast the peanuts on a medium flame or in a oven until skin becomes loose and come off easily,make 
sure you don't over roast it.Rub them between the palms and remove the skin completely and keep it aside.
6.Now take a bowl and add sesame seeds,jaggery,copra,puff channa and peanuts,mix everything and serve.

Happy Sankranti

Wish You All a Happy MakaraSankranti