Kesari bhat - the south canteen food for college days

I have lived on Kesari bhat (or sheera in Maharashtra) for days after days, while I was graduating from Bangalore (Bengaluru now). The Kesari Bhat (Semolina sweet dish) offered at Sagars' in Southern India is something I craved every evening and each plate had cost me not more than Rs. 5-7 INR, if I remember correctly. BTM's shanthi sagar, Jayanagar's shanthi upahar, krishna chinai and Adyar Ananda Bhawan joints were my hot picks. I reclaim that the Kesari Bhath made in southern India beats any other semolina dessert of any other Indian state. It's a must try, special mention to the Karnataka's Pineapple Kesari Bhath.

Kesari bhath is a popular Indian dessert.There is a large choice of kesari bhath varying from place to place, depending on availability of products. It might be cooked with pineapple or banana, mango and rice. The classical ingredients used for its preparation are semolina, sugar, ghee, water and milk.

Kesari bhath has its origins in Karnataka and is a popular sweet dish during festivals such as Ugadi. Having lived in Southern India for 6 years, I have managed to bring home few southern culinary delights to my kitchen and here treating hubby today with the very famous "Pineapple Kesari Bhath" - a taste from the college canteen ~

 I am not very good with recipes and measurements, but trying to put things together so you can try this easy delicacy at your home. Please amend the measurements according to your taste.

Ingredients -

1 cup rava / sooji / semolina
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup ghee (you can reduce the quantity and use 50:50 ratio oil: ghee)
1 cup milk and 1 cup water
1 cup canned pineapple cubes with the juice
1/4 tbsp cardamom powder
1/8 tsp food color (saffron color) dissolved in 2 tbsp of milk
1/4 cup cashew and raisins fried in ghee

Procedure -

Fry rava in a heavy bottomed pan by stirring continuously. Make sure the rava doesn't burn at the bottom. Once the rava is fried properly, you won't be getting the raw smell anymore. Take the content out in a flat dish - spread it and let it cool.

In another heavy bottomed pan, heat 1 cup milk, 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar and bring to boil. Add the cardamom powder and throw in the pineapple pieces with the juice. If you think the milk might curdle, then add before boiling and let the entire mix come to a boil till the solution has a syrupy texture. Now add the food color dissolved in milk and simmer.

Gradually slide the fried rava, little by little, so no lumps will form in between. Add the remaining ghee and 50% of the fried dry fruits and mix well. Stir till desired consistency is reached. Once the water is absorbed well, taste for sugar and turn off the heat. Serve with the remaining dry fruits on top.

Picture Courtesy - Chondryma
[Please do not copy or publish the photos without my permission]

Buttery Silk Avocado Shake - Easter Special 2013

Have you ever tried amplifying a savory dish with a hint of avocado in it? As a matter of fact, Burmese do use avocados in drinks and ice creams, to get a creamy rich consistency and believe me, it tastes sensational.

Apart from that fact that Avocados are hailed for their rich and creamy flavour, did you know they are also considered the world’s healthiest fruit? The health benefits in avocados come from their high nutrient content - packed full of vitamin K, dietary fibre, potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin C - eating avocados has shown to lower cholesterol and help regulate blood pressure and evokes a reaction in women comparable to that of chocolate :-) :-) :-)

Almost every Asian country makes own version of their fresh avocado shake. But this Easter I was introduced an extremely delicate Avocado shake by my friend “P” who recently traveled across Burma and filled her taste palette with all Burmese delicacies. So, my Easter 2013 kitchen celebrated a Burmese corner - when I prepared Pree’s Rangooni rice with mutton curry (with my variation) while "P" prepared thick n rich Avo shake for me.

The first time I saw avocado in a sweet drink, and suffered a culture shock. Did you know in Vietnam, like elsewhere in Southeast Asia, avocados are used for sweets? Most often times, the flesh of this rich berry is combined with condensed milk, which amplifies the avocado flavor.

So here goes P’s buttery silk avocado drink - 

Makes about 2 1/2 cups, enough to serve 2 or 3

1 and 1/2 ripe medium avocado

2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (we used condensed lite milk)

1/4 to 1/2 cup milk

Scoop the avocado flesh into a blender. Add the remaining ingredients, starting out with the least amount of milk and puree until completely smooth. Taste and add additional milk, depending on the avocado type and if a thinner consistency is desired. 
 

Here’s a little tip. Let your avocado shake sit for 10 to 15 minutes in the fridge. The buttery, avocado flavor will become more pronounced resulting in a tastier shake. Serve chilled.

Also made some special dessert for our Easter celebration tonight -

"Sinfully chocolate" - Chocolate Mousse with shredded coconut and shaved chocolate for our dessert tonight at home - Enjoying our Easter Holidays... Happy Easter to you all !!

 

Photography credits –

Easter picture from redbubble.com

Avocado-shake and chocolate mousse pictures by KJKA author, Chondryma.

Please do not copy the content or pictures without her permission.

Rangooni rice recipe has been taken from Pree’s blog - here

 

"Krishnachandrer Pishimar Lau Chingri" - The aunt who cooked bottlegourd with shrimp

Have you heard of the Gopal Bhar story when he tricks Maharaj Krishnachandrer Pishima (King Krishnachadra’s aunt) to win a bet upon Maharaj and earn money from her? Pishima was thrifty but stingy by nature and everyone knew this in the kingdom. So Maharaj decided to place a challenge on Gopal Bhar’s wit and wisdom. He was asked to trick Pishima and earn money from her. Gopal agreed.


He went to Pishima’s house and explained her how badly he was missing Pishima’s ranna (Aunt’s cooking). Further requested her to cook for him that night. Pishima said she cannot visit the market but will feed him with whatever could be arranged at home. Gopal nodded with a smile. He took leave from Pishima only to return back at night for dinner.

Once Gopal left, Pishima went to the kitchen and found Lau (bottlegourd) in the pantry – Lau, being every Bengali’s favorite, Pishima decided to cook Lau ghonto for Gopal. 

Let me tell you here, Pishima was bidhoba (widow) and hence she would cook and eat only vegetarian. Those days, for a widow, it was considered a sin to even have touched anything that is considered a non-veg. 

 It was time for dinner, and Gopal arrived with a bag full of fried kucho-chingri (shrimps) hidden in his pocket. As he sat to eat, Pishima served him with his favourite Lau ghonto. Gopal asked Pishi to get him some water to drink and meanwhile mixed few fried shrimps in the lau ghonto Pishi served. After Pishi returned with water, he mentioned that she had prepared the yummiest of Lau-chingri he ever had! Pishi was confused on that statement and asked Gopal what he meant by that! 

Gopal showed the shrimps in the Lau ghonto and called it a Lau-chingri delicacy. Pishi felt ashamed of her negligence & bribed Gopal with some money only to keep it a secret and not tell anyone. 

On discovering the news, Maharaj rewarded Gopal for his sheer intelligence.

Now, I was reading my childhood “Gopal Golpo Samagra” (Collection of Gopal Bhar stories), and cooking Pishima’s Lau Chingri for my weekend. How was your weekend?

You can get a glimpse of the tale as narrated by Angel Video here Gopal Bhand and Kipte Pisi

Video Courtesy – Angel Videos

Picture Courtesy – Chondryma

[Note: Please do not copy or publish the content and photos without my permission]

Copyright © Chondryma Chakrobortti 2013. All Rights Reserved.