Brief Introduction: Jowar, also known as sorghum is grown mostly in Indian peninsular region. North Karnataka being a dry state is perfect for the growth of this crop. Jowar is one of the cereal crops is a staple diet for the poorer class of the society. It is also used as animal feed and for industrial use. One of the most famous dishes made in North Karnataka is jolada rotti or also called as Bhakri in local language. It is a flat bread made from fine jowar powder. This flat bread is usually had with Jhunka(curry made from Bengal gram powder), Raw onion, muddi palya(curry made from leavy vegetables and lentils) but it goes best with engai palya or Badani kai palya and Jhunka vadi. Engai palya is eggplant stuffed with spices. This dish can be made in various different ways. However, I will be talking about the one my mother has been making from the time I can remember. Jhunka Vadi is a very famous side dish made from gram flour, onions and some spices. It can be ate as an evening snack with tea as well but goes best with hot jalada rotti.
Jolada Rotti:
Ingredients required:
- Jowar Powder: Two Cups (inclusive of the amount to be used for dusting)
- Boiled Water: One Cup
- Salt: As Required To Taste
How to make Jolada rotti:
- Take one cup of water and boil it.
- While the water boils, take a wide mouth vessel add one and three fourth cups of jowar powder to it.
- Add salt to the same.
- Once the water is hot, add it to the jowar powder slowly and keep mixing the water and jowar powder.
- Knead it into soft dough.
- Once the dough is ready, take a small portion of it; beat it with your palm on a flat surface to get a flat thin raw rotti.
- Heat the pan, add the raw beaten rotti to the pan, cook for 30 seconds.
- Meanwhile take a small white linen or cotton, dip it in water. Squeeze to remove excess water from the cloth and apply this on the uncooked side of the rotti.
- Now flip it to cook the other side of the rotti.
- Hot jolada rotti is ready to be served.
Engai Palya/ Badanikai palya (Eggplant stuffed with spices):
Ingredients required:
- Eggplants: Eight(small or medium sized)
- Onion: One (Finely Chopped), Half (chopped into cubes, used for the masala)
- Oil: Two Table Spoon
- Mustard Seeds: One Tea Spoon
- Cumin Seeds: Two Tea Spoon
- Coriander Leaves: One Small Cup
- Fresh Grated Coconut: Half Cup
- Curry Leaves: Five To Six
- Coriander Seeds: Two Table Spoon
- Green Chilly : Two Or Three
- Sambar Masala: One Table Spoon
- Turmeric Powder : One Tea Spoon
- Sesame Seeds: One Tea Spoon
- Peanuts: One Cup
- Tamarind Paste: One Tea Spoon
- Jaggery: One Tea Spoon ( Powdered)
- Salt: To taste
How to make Engai Palya( Eggplant stuffed with spices):
- wash the eggplants. Wipe with a clean cloth. Once dry chop the Eggplants into 4 halves but make sure you chop only three- fourth of the eggplant in order to stuff the masala inside the eggplant.
- To make the masala, blend half cup of fresh grated coconut, along with two table spoon of coriander seeds, three green chilly, half onion which is chopped into cubes, one tea spoon cumin seeds to get a fine paste.
- Stuff the Eggplants with this paste.
- Heat the pan, dry roast sesame seeds and the peanuts. Blend it in a mixture to form rough mixture.
- Take the same hot pan. Add two table spoon of Oil, once hot, add one tea spoon mustard seeds.
- Once the mustard seeds crackle, add one one tea spoon of cumin seeds and roast.
- Add One tea spoon of turmeric powder.
- Add five to six curry leaves to the hot oil.
- Add one finely chopped onion to the same and fry it until it turns golden brown.
- Add the stuffed eggplants to the same mix with the onion.
- Add Sesame seed and peanut mixture to the same.
- Add one tea spoon of tamarind paste and one tea spoon of powdered jaggery to the same.
- Add one fourth cup of water to the same. Add salt to taste and cover the pan with a plate or a vessel.
- Cook for ten minutes until eggplant is fully cooked. Add finely chopped coriander leaves for taste and for garnish.
- Engai Palya or badnikai palya is ready to be served hot.
Jhunka Vadi:
Ingredients required:
- Gram Flour: One Cup
- Cumin Seeds: One Tea Spoon
- Mustard Seeds: One Tea Spoon
- Onion : One (Medium Sized Finely Chopped)
- Garlic : Three Cloves
- Turmeric Powder: One Tea Spoon
- Chilly Powder: One Tea Spoon
- Asafetida (Hing) : Half Tea Spoon
- Lemon Juice : Two Table Spoons
- Oil: Two Table Spoon
- Curry Leaves: Five to Six
- Coriander leaves: One cup
- Sesame Seeds : Two Tea Spoon
- Water : One cup
- Salt : To Taste
How to make Jhunka Vadi:
- Mix one cup of gram flour, one tea spoon turmeric powder, one tea spoon chilly powder, salt, lime juice along with water to form a thick batter.
- Heat a pan, Add two table spoon of oil.
- Once hot, add one tea spoon of mustard seeds, let it crackle then add one tea spoon of cumin seeds. Roast it
- Add one finely chopped onion to it and fry until golden brown.
- Add the thick batter prepared using gram flour to it and mix well.
- Lower the heat and cook this mixture until batter changes its texture to shiny texture and water is completely absorbed.
- Once done, take the pan off the stove.
- Take A flat plate grease it with oil, spread the cooked batter evenly all over the plate and let it cool.
- To make the seasoning take a different pan, add one table spoon of oil.
- Once hot, Add half spoon of asafetida, two tea spoons of sesame seeds and five to six curry leaves to the oil. Let it crackle.
- Add this seasoning all over the gram flour cake and sprinkle coriander leaves over it for garnish.
- Cut this cake into small diamond cubes and serve it.
Conclusion:
I hope all you guys like this recipe and try it. I shall come back with more of Karnataka dishes in my upcoming writings.
