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Dear Friends,

Masala Magic has moved! For a while, I've been thinking about giving Masala Magic a new look. A new year a new look! Please come visit me at:

Masala Magic

Cheers
Latha

Ragi Rotti - Rotti made from Millet Flour

Ragi rotti served with Greens Huli and Spicy Chutney Powder

Ragi or Millet is a grain that is considered extremely nutritious. This grain is ground into flour and is very popularly used in Karnataka and some parts of Andhra Pradesh. Raw Ragi, which are green in color, tiny beads and almost looks like mustard seeds are usually roasted, smeared with some salt and a spicy cilantro chutney and consumed as a snack in some villages in Karnataka and Andhra where people have access to fresh ragi produce directly from the fields. I have had the good fortune of tasting this wonderful grain fresh from the fields. And it is a delicious grain...
In Karanataka, Ragi Mudde is a very popular food item. Cheap, easy to make, delicious and extremely nutritious - all in one package, the ragi mudde is served with spicy gravy dishes on the side.

For more details on Ragi mudde, check out Madhu of Ruchi's version of Ragi Mudde.
Also called Ragi Sangati in some parts of Andhra, do check out Indira of Mahanandi's version of Ragi Sankati.

Our favorite with Ragi or Millet flour at home is Ragi Rotti. This rotti can be served with coconut chutney, any sambar or spicy gravy dish or just eaten plain with butter or ghee -the way my kids like it!


Ragi Rotti served with a dollop of Ghee!

You will need:
Ragi or Millet Flour - 2 to 3 cups (Available in most Indian grocers outside India also)
1 Large Onion - Chopped fine
4 Green chillies - Chopped fine or minced
1/2 bunch of coriander or cilantro -Washed and Chopped fine
Curry leaves - a handful - Washed and chopped fine
1/2 cup roasted peanuts - Remove the peel and coarsely grind in a mixer
1 tsp cumin seeds or jeera - Coarsely pound
Salt to taste
Grated Carrots (optional)

Method:
In a large mixing bowl combine all of the above ingredients. Add little water and mix well to bind into a dough (almost like chapathi dough). To make the rottis, take a tennis ball size of dough onto a greased nonstick pan or tava, place in the center and flatten the dough into a circular rotti starting out from the center. Make a circular rotti making sure it is even all over. Drizzzle a little oil or spray on some Pam spray, cover with a lid and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes. The rotti will change color at this point (from lighter to darker brown). Remove the lid and roast until the rotti is slightly roasted, Turnover if needed and cook for another minute. Serve hot with chutney, sambar or any gravy of choice.

For more detail pictures, here's my post on Akki Roti - which is made very much like Ragi Rotti.
And yet another detail post with pictures on Rava Rotti - I had mom make the rotti while I was taking the pictures!

And here are some more versions of Ragi Rotti from some Blogger friends...
Sailu's Ragi Rotti
Seema's Ragi Rotti
Madhu's Ragi Rotti
Asha's Ragi Rotti
and
Latha N's (Latha maami as I call her) Ragi Rotti!

Hope you guys had a fill of Ragi Rotti! Thanks for stopping by.

Tangy Tomato Rice

Tomato Rice is a favorite at our home. It is a one pot meal that is great for a lazy evening when you are craving something simple, homely and delicious. Served with a cool raita this makes for a great meal.
This is a simple version, where you make the tomato curry mixture and then mix it up with some cooked rice. You cannot go wrong with this recipe!


Tangy Tomato Rice

You will need:
5 Medium sized Tomatoes (I use Romas)
a small bunch of mint leaves - Washed and chopped fine
1 medium sized Onion - Chopped lengthwise
2 green chillies
1 tsp Garlic paste
a small piece of cinnamon
3 to 4 cloves
1 bay leaf
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
2 tsp Sambar Powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
3 tbsp Oil
Rice - 2 cups (I use Sona Masoori Rice, Pre cooked in a rice cooker with 5 cups of water)

Method:
Cook the rice. Once it is cooked, spread on a platter or a large mixing bowl and let it cool. Meanwhile, in a pan heat the oil. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves. After about 1 minute add the chopped onions, chopped green chillies and the garlic paste and saute until the onions are a golden brown. Then add the chopped mint leaves and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric and sambar powder. Saute for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the tomatoes become pulpy and oil leaves the sides of the pan. Add the salt and the cooked rice and mix well. Mix gently to ensure the rice grains do not break. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with cool cucumber or onion raita!

Here's another version of Tomato Rice that I had blogged about some time back.

Happy Cooking!

Happy New Year, Fruit Cake, Cookies and a Christmas Bash

First off I'd like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. May this new year brings much needed peace to the world! I cannot imagine that the year has flown by so fast and its already another bright new year! I still remember celebration Y2K - year 2000! Lo and behold - its already the year 2008!


Image Source: 123greetings.com

Christmas this year for us was pretty low key! A lot of lounging on the couch and catching up with some good movies. Plenty of food and some company made it a very relaxing time for us.
At home I baked the usualy butter cake, fruit cake and some cookies that I've been wanting to try for a while. So here goes some simple home tested recipes...

Fruit cake
I remember while I was growing up we ate this cake from the Indian bakeries all the time.. it was called "Tutti Fruity cake" - the name being derived from the little tiny bits of fruit or tutti fruity that is in the cake. I used the same basic pound cake recipe and just added fruit mix to it!


Delicious Fruit Cake

You will need:
250 gms All purpose Flour (Maida)
250gms Sugar
250 gms Butter (comes upto 2.5 sticks of butter)
5 eggs (1 egg for every 50 gms)
Vanilla essence
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup Fruit mix (available in the baking aisle in any supermarket)

Method:
Cream the eggs and the sugar together until light and fluffy. I use my hand mixer on speed 3. Add the baking powder and the vanilla essence and beat until well blended. Then slowly beat in the flour until well blended. Use a spatula to bring in the sides and blend well. Grease a bundt pan or cake pan with butter and pour/spoon the batter in the pan.
Pre heat convection oven to about 375 degree F. Bake for about 45 minutes at 375F or until well browned on top. Stick a fork in the cake and make sure it comes out clean to check if it is done.
Cool the cake on a cooling rack. Serve warm or when it is cool!


Fruit Cake

Note: For regular buuter cake or pound cake, just omit the fruit mix and follow the same recipe as above!

Masala Cookies
I remember eating these cookies from bakeries in India and it always amazed me how good these tasted. For a long time now I have been wanting to try baking these cookies at home. This finally saw the say of the light the other day when I baked a batch of these yummy cookies!


Masala Cookies - Delicious as an evening snack

You will need:
All purpose flour or maida - 1 cup
Butter - 1 stick or 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
about 1 tsp of sugar to taste (optional)
5 green chillies - chopped or minced fine
a few sprigs of cilantro chopped fine
a few curry leaves chopped fine
1 tsp grated ginger
Curds or Plain yogurt - 2 tbsp

Method:
In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Thaw the butter into a soft consitency at room temperature. Add the butter to the flour mixture and slowly mix with your finger until the hwole flour mixture is crumbly. Then add the chopped chillies, cilantro, ginger and curry leaves. Blend in with the flour mixture wiht your hand. Then add the yogurt and mix everything into a thick dough. Do not knead a whole lot. Cover with a lid and let sit for about 10 minutes. Then make small rounds and flatten between your palms into cookies. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated convection oven at 375 F for about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack. Can be served warm or can be stored in a air-tight container to be served later.


Wanna try a bite???

And finally wanted to share some pictures with you guys of a Christmas Bash that took place a friend's house... the food speaks for itself!


The menu was a typical South Indian Christmas lunch - Appam with coocnut milk, Fried Prawns, Cutlets, Raita, rasam, Stuffed idlis, Cauliflower gravy, Fish Kozhambu, Shrimp Fry, Chilli chicken, White Rice and Curds.


All served traditionally on a Plantain Leaf (fake one here ;-)



Thanks to my friends Natasha, Anita and Reni for the lovely pictures!

Again wishing all my dear friends a great year ahead! Thanks for stopping by.

Holiday Greetings

Dear Friends,

Wishing all of you and your families a very happy and joyous Holiday season. May this merry time bring you lots of cheer and happiness!


Image Source: 123greetings.com

Soon to come - some holiday baked goodies and some easy recipes :-)

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Staying warm with Pakodas

Its been snowing and raining ice these past few days here in the Midwest. We have been at home mostly trying to stay warm and get some indoor chores done. Having been here for so long, I have learnt to appreciate the change in weather and enjoy good weather even more than before. But even after all these years, I still am not used to the extreme cold - frozen fingers, frozen noses and ears and a really depressive mood! I have great respect for people out there who live all their lives in cold extreme conditions!
Well anyway, to stay warm this winter, it has been mainly soups and some spicy indian curry with chapathis at home. Every once in a while, I get the craving to eat some hot bajjiyas, hot samosas or some hot pakodas! To satisfy this craving (and actually for a potluck at a friend's) I made garam Pakodas the other day!


Garam (Hot) Pakodas


I follow Sailu's Ulli Pakodis recipe to the T. I have made it numerous times now and it has never failed me! People always wonder how my Pakodas stay so crisp and delicious even after such a long time! Well if only they knew - this is not a low fat, calorie check recipe by any means :-) But its delicious and great for indulging once in a while! Thanks Sailu for a wonderful recipe!

Also wanted to mention about Foodie Blog Roll! This is really wonderful- this blogroll thing! It keeps me abreast with the latest in the food blog world and the best part is that I dont have to keep adding to my blogroll! Someone else takes care of it :-) Do check it out on my right hand side bar! And I would encourage my dearest blogger friends to join, if you're not already on there!

Sorry for not blogging a whole lot lately! Thanks though to some of my dear readers to enquire! I have been busy with the usual and not too much in the mood to cook :-) Though things are getting better and I promise to come back with some recipes :-)